Australian Football League Draft

The Australian Football League Draft is the annual draft of new unsigned players by Australian rules football teams that participate in the main competition of that sport, the Australian Football League (AFL).

History

When the competition was known as the Victorian Football League (VFL), the league introduced the first incarnation of a draft system in 1981, where teams had two selections each of interstate players determined by reverse finishing position order.^[1] This was introduced as an equalisation strategy in response to the increasing transfer fees and player salaries at the time, which in combination with declining attendances, threatened to derail the league. It was also a result of the failure of country zoning, introduced in the late 1960s, which had led to a systematic inequality whereby the clubs with the best zones, like Carlton and Hawthorn, could dominate over clubs with poorer zones like Melbourne.

In 1986, the first VFL Draft was held. The draft saw players tied to zones based on their location of residence, with each club having first call on players falling within that zone. The West Coast Eagles received access to 35 West Australian players with no more than 6 players from any single WAFL club, while the Brisbane Bears received 6 concessionary picks before the other clubs.

Draft

In the AFL Draft, clubs receive picks based on the position in which they finish on the ladder during the season. The draft is held each year at the end of November, to allow the draftees to finish their school examinations before being drafted.^[2]

Eligibility

Currently to be eligible for the draft, a player must be at least 17 years of age on or before 30 April in the year in which they are drafted. This has been slowly increased over the past few years due to concerns about school age players potentially having to leave home to play football in another state. For the 2009 draft the eligibility age has been increased by four months so players must be 18 on 31 December in the year in which they are drafted. Meaning that players who turn 18 during their first months of year 12 will be able to finish studying without the pressure of AFL.^[3]

Priority draft pick rule

The priority draft picks were first introduced in the 1993 AFL Draft as a special assistance rule to aid teams that perform poorly to obtain additional early draft selections. Under current rules, in place since the 2012 season, priority draft picks are given out to struggling teams at the discretion of the AFL Commission; this replaced a system in which a priority draft pick was automatically given to team whose win-loss record fell below a pre-defined value. The priority draft picks became controversial, as there were accusations by commentators that teams out of finals contention would tank at the end of season to gain access to the additional draft picks, although the AFL itself never brought such accusations against any club.^[4]

Father-son rule

To continue the traditions of association that a family has with a particular club, sons of former players are able to be selected by the same club as their father played with under the Father-Son Rule. For clubs with an established history in the VFL/AFL, the father must have played at least 100 games for the club to be eligible for the father/son rule; clubs with no long term history in the league (such as the Western Australian and South Australian clubs) have different eligibility criteria based on the state leagues.

Under current rules, players eligible under the Father-Son Rule are selected in a bidding system prior to the draft. Firstly, any club in the league may nominate a draft pick with which it intends to take the eligible son; then, if the father's club wishes to draft the son, it must use its next available draft pick, after the highest bidder.^[5]

Earlier versions of the Father-Son Rule allowed the sons to be recruited automatically, without need for the draft, or allowed the club to recruit the son using a third round draft pick. The Father-Son Rule itself pre-dates the draft, and prior to the draft it could be used to contravene zoning rules.

Number one draft picks

The number one draft pick is generally given to the bottom-placed team from the previous season; or, to a new expansion team in its first draft. In the unique case of the 2007 AFL Draft, the second-last placed team, Carlton, received the number one draft pick by virtue of the priority pick rules which were in place at the time. Although rare, the number one pick has been traded before, as seen when Fremantle traded the number one pick of the 2001 AFL Draft to Hawthorn.

Despite the expectations of the number one pick, not all have forged successful VFL/AFL careers. Adam Cooney, the first pick of the 2003 AFL Draft was the first number one draft pick to be awarded the prestigious Brownlow Medal in 2008. In the same year, Luke Hodge, the number one pick in 2001, won the Norm Smith Medal with Hawthorn.

The following is a list of the number one overall draft picks since the draft's inception in 1986. Adelaide, Essendon, North Melbourne, and Port Adelaide are the only clubs currently in the AFL never to have had the first overall selection of an AFL Draft.

Pre-season draft

Rookie draft

Held at the same time as the pre-season draft, the rookie draft is a chance for clubs to recruit players under 23 for their Rookie list. Rookies are usually picked as young, developing players and can be elevated from the rookie list during the year, if there is a long term injury or retirement to a senior player in the team. Once the rookie is elevated, he remains that way until the end of the year, where they can be officially upgraded to the senior list, or kept on as a second year rookie, or delisted/not offered a new contract. Most teams have six rookies, but Brisbane and Sydney have more, and other teams may have more or less depending on the number of veterans on their list.

Some of the most successful players (having achieved 100 or more games or 100 goals) from the rookie system include:^[6]

International rookies

Rookies are also available to be selected from overseas countries and players on the list do not count towards the salary cap. Notable examples are Irish Tommy Walsh of Sydney; Canadian Mike Pyke of Sydney, a former rugby union international; and American Seamus McNamara, a former college basketball player who has been rookie listed by Collingwood.

In 2006, the AFL introduced a new scheme where clubs can maintain 2 international rookies (excluding Irish players) outside of the regular rookie list.^{[citation needed]}

See also

• AFL salary cap

References

1. ^ The draft blows in, Emma Quayle, The Age, 17 November 2006.
2. ^ Foreman, Glen (25 November 2008). "Fremantle Dockers coach Mark Harvey raises concerns over draft". http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,24704682-5005401,00.html. Retrieved 28 November 2008. 
3. ^ "AFL approves draft, trading rule changes". 30 April 2008. http://www.afl.com.au/tabid/208/Default.aspx?newsid=58792. Retrieved 27 November 2008. 
4. ^ Gill, Katrina; Tanking talk ‘pathetic’, says Demetriou; 20 June 2008
5. ^ Father-Son Rule
6. ^ McClure, Geoff (15 December 2005). "Sporting life". The Age (Melbourne). http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/sporting-life/2005/12/14/1134500913669.html?page=2. 

External links

• Official AFL Draft page
• AFL Draft Information
• AFL Draft news and player profiles