I was reaching for my pad and pen yesterday, after receiving the AFL’s press release on the new compensation rules during the league’s expansion period. The new rules certainly are complicated and a bit messy, but after worming my way through the details, it appears a better deal for clubs.
If you missed it, or were left a tad confused by it all, the AFL Commission recommended a formula to determine compensation for clubs who lose players to expansion sides, via the criteria of the player’s age and their new contract offer.
Through that criteria expansion-bound players will be ranked into one of five different categories to determine the level of compensation a club will receive, with those in the ‘top-echelon’ naturally receiving the most, in the form of two first-round draft picks (confused, much?)
The other categories would receive, in order, a Round One selection, an End of Round One selection, a Round Two selection and a Round Three selection.
Interestingly, after the formula is applied every single case will be analysed on its merits by a select committee, which hopefully will ensure the formula won’t be found out in undervaluing or overvaluing players for that matter.
The committee will also hopefully ensure common sense is always applied although it does leave the door open for some inevitable subjectivity on a player’s worth.
But on face-value the new deal appears better for clubs and more common-sensical.
The Herald Sun‘s Jon Ralph said he’d spoken with Geelong FC yesterday and they told him they were a lot happier with the new arrangement, but, of course, they hoped not to have to use it with Gary Ablett’s will-he won’t-he Gold Coast move.
If Ablett was to leave Geelong for the Gold Coast, the Cats would receive two Round One picks under the new arrangement which is an improved deal. The catch is they wouldn’t be able to use those picks until the 2012 draft.
That delay will certainly be a blow to clubs with their premiership windows currently open.
Moving on, though, the AFL has spent a long time figuring out how to determine compensation for clubs once the expansion sides come in.
They’ve faced a logistical and legal minefield, but this solution appears clear-cut and that’s obviously one of their goals, although it’s interesting they haven’t revealed how the criteria will actually be scored.
Nevertheless, the criteria for determining compensation will provide more black-and-white answers, rather than countering in a player’s past achievements such as Best & Fairests or All-Australian honours or even current contracts.
That suits clubs who could lose players just starting out in the game without many achievements at senior level, such as Richmond with Dustin Martin.
It also suits a club like Geelong if Gary Ablett is lured away by big-money which appears the main attraction for anyone considering the switch.
The system, though, will still be open to anomalies and inconsistencies (especially with a player’s new contract offer a deciding factor, as Gold Coast and GWS will have significant space available in their salary caps to splash the cash) which is why creating a committee to analyse every case is a wise move.
The greatest area of contention, though, will be the form of compensation for clubs, which was never going to be easy to formulate.
It’s likely in some instances clubs will feel their loss has been valued correctly and in other cases not so.
The AFL, though, has ambiguously left it up to the club’s discretion as to when they want to use their compensation picks (within five years, that is). This means clubs could potentially use their picks when they’re on the slide to create a better-placed pick (invite tanking anyone?).
Patrick Keane, the Media Relations Manager at AFL House, did confirm to me though, “For a club to use its compensation picks, it must tell the AFL before the season starts if it intends to use that pick.”
Nevertheless, in the main, the new arrangement has addressed some keys areas and made the process more clear-cut. There will still be some issues which will frustrate clubs and fans, but it’s a hard system to perfect.
Let’s hope it’s worth it in the long run.
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