Buried away in recent news about AFL matters, behind crushing pre-season wins by the Indigenous All Stars and Collingwood over Adelaide and Perth respectively, and Setanta O’hAilpin’s extraordinary good fortune, has been speculation that the AFL and the Players’ Association are getting closer to some sort of agreement on “free agency.”
As usual, the words have to be written in inverted commas, especially the “free” bit.
It seems that what is on the agenda is allowing out-of-contract players to choose which club they want to move to, but only if they have “served” seven years with their present club. That’s a bit like someone who’s been given life in jail having the sentence commuted to seven years.
It certainly doesn’t meet any definition of the words free agency.
The AFL and the clubs still seem to be clinging to the belief that they can prevent players who have fulfilled the terms of their contract – which, of course, they can continue to do in the absence of a legal challenge to the present system.
Such a challenge, though, seems unlikely to come from the present players’ association, so unless an individual at the end of his contract wins the lottery or gets some other huge financial windfall to finance a long battle in the courts, it won’t happen.
The news that O’hAilpin accepted his four-week suspension within two hours of it being handed down came as no surprise. The only surprising thing is that it wasn’t two minutes, especially since he can serve some, possibly all, of the sentence during the pre-season. I suspect the tribunal would have put the boot in a lot harder, of you’ll pardon the expression, in days gone by.
The AFL Dream Team
I’ve picked a couple of AFL Dream Teams in the lead-up to the 2009 season’s competition, which you should all be entering, too.
I’ve picked one side with proven form on the board, and the other based on possible improvers in this year’s competition.
So this week I’ve named only players who helped their teams to finish in the top four last year, and next week there will be only players from the remaining twelve clubs, possibly with some pulling on this year’s guernsey for the first time.
That second team will be even harder to choose than this week’s, particularly since it will contain players from traditional powerhouses Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon and Richmond, all of whom are widely expected to make moves up the ladder this year.
This week’s team, not surprisingly, contains a majority of players from grand finalists Hawthorn and Geelong, with the Western Bulldogs and St Kilda pretty much just making up the numbers.
Competition entrants can, of course, pick their Dream Teams from wherever they like.
My top-four side:
B: Tom Harley (Gee) Matthew Scarlett (Gee), Brent Guerra (Haw)
HB: Lindsay Gilbee (WB) Max Hudghton (StK) Campbell Brown (Haw)
C: Jimmy Bartel (Gee) Luke Hodge (Haw) Cyril Rioli (Haw)
HF: Brad Johnson (WB) Cameron Mooney (Gee) Adam Cooney (WB)
F: Adam Schneider (StK) Lance Franklin (Haw) Cameron Ling (Gee)
Foll: Steven King (StK) Joel Corey (Gee) Gary Ablett (Gee)
Int: Sam Mitchell (Haw) Michael Osborne (Haw) Nick Riewoldt (StK) Chance Bateman (Haw)
Bruce Walkley
Guest
To Michael C and others re the "minimum term of service" - in a fair world, that's the length of the player's contract - one, two, three, four years, whatever. After that he should be able to sign another contract, either with his present club or another of his choice.
tony
Guest
I believe its West Coast, not Perth
Michael C
Guest
Midfielder - it's one of those things, until someone can come up with a better idea. The AFLPA and the AFL have all recognised that the system isn't perfect - - especially the trade period. It's just not working the way it was designed. Too often the one big deal just holds up everything else, and at the end of the 'week', only a handful of deals get through. So - the system needs a tweak, and that's what will be done. It DOES actually work. The symbiotic relationship between an organisation that needs the players and the players that need the organisation. The AFL can't afford to be as some people seem to imagine them to be.
Midfielder
Guest
Redb I will accept what you say as I have little understanding of AFL workings.... I was purely looking at it from outside stance and looking at the three groups ... But your last sentence .... People should remember the AFL comp is the elite comp for Aussie Rules, it is modelled on American football and the elite NFL.... not sure just because you are the AFL you need to be considered differently to any other organisation before the courts... However I accept you saying that the players / AFl / & the players association all want it this way.
Redb
Guest
Midfielder, What you wrote is a very inaccurate reflection of the actual situation with regard to the AFL. Restraint of trade only applies if all parties don't agree that trade conditions are reasonable. The AFL Players Assoc agree to the draft as they understand it is the best and fairest way to operate and keep the 'whole' competition viable. Without the players consent it is a restraint, but if they agree and they do, then it's absolutely legal in the eye of the courts. People should remember the AFL comp is the elite comp for Aussie Rules, it is modelled on American football and the elite NFL. Redb
Forgetmenot
Guest
Mid, Thats one of the reasons the AFL was scared about the implications of Sonny Bill Williams transfering
Midfielder
Guest
MY AFL knowledge is very limited but from an outside stance when I look at the draft I see a very powerful organsation (the AFL) knowing operating outside the law, knowing if it went to court they would loose.... ride rough shod over small individuals (players) and form a working relationship with another powerful organisation (players association) to assist in enforcing the unlawful acts.... then I see an organisation (the AFL) full of self belief and connections who use their power position to over ride individual rights .... not to sure that is healthy... maybe I am over stating it... just my view from outside .. but in no way a knowledgeable view
Michael C
Guest
Lazza - a. the AFL is hardly a 'corporation'..........the fellows who OWN the NRL are a corporation (or combination of corporations). b. the recognition is that most of the AFL structures CAN be challenged, but, the AFLPA don't see the value in pursuing this. It'd take an individual to force the issue - - but, it'd be potential counter productive. The AFLPA prefers negotiation over paying lawyers fees. Demetriou is ex-players assoc, and the AFLPA played a lead role in drafting the Illicit drugs policy as a player welfare document rather than publicly exposing zero tolerance 'sloganistic' policy. The AFLPA is pretty powerful, not all powerful - - as the Ben Cousins affair illustrated. The old 10 year rule only lasted a very short time. North Melbourne exploited it beautifully, and with Doug Wade, John Rantall and Barry Davis in particular, were able to complete a premiership winning line up. This scared a lot of people............strange though, because - this scenario was only really likely in the odd scenario of all the other clubs NOT being nearly as quick to recognise the potential as North Melbourne were. At any rate - the recognition these days is that you can't have 'free agency' too soon. There needs to be a minimum term of service in essence. Similar to a kid going through uni on a corporate scholarship....although a friend of mine who went thru on a Telstra scholarship had no binding obligation but CHOSE to do the right thing and work for Telstra for a couple of years. The footy industry hates young players being developed patiently by a club, and just as they approach their 40-50 game range which is usually where players really start to blossom - - for that player to seek to jump ship - - that annoys the heck out of clubs. And fair enough. Is it a restraint of trade - - you betcha. Does it have to be dismantled? I don't reckon. The limited free agency is what has been sought for some time - - the only issue was the time frame. 7 years seems fair. An 18 year old will be around 24-25. He will still have had the opportunity to be traded along the way if he really needed to get out.
Forgetmenot
Guest
The A-league is developing and needs to try and spread resources evenly. The AFL is developed and by making each club derive its own income sources, it ensures each club is proactive in this. The AFL is also a much bigger competition with a greater reach in the community. The AFL has a stricter salary cap than the a-league (no marquee players). Different strategies work for each competition. If there were no draft, zones would be in place id imaigne, and clubs like the Swans and Lions would be worse off.
Lazza
Guest
Forgetmenot, The A-League model "gives every club equal access to players to ensure an even competition". They all get the same money and all have to operate under s strict salary cap. Why wont this work for the AFL?
Forgetmenot
Guest
The AFL is in court at the moment versus the Telstra Dome. The system gives every club equal access to players to ensure an even competition. Tanking is a big problem in football at the moment, and there have been several suggestions on how to fix it. I quite like the lottery system of draft picks where the lower place has a greater chance of pick number 1 but is not guaranteed it. If you have a great coach he will be able to train players up to be good. Not all the top draft picks go on to be superstars, and it is pretty hard to judge a good player. There are stories every year on how a certain club has once again pulled off a great coup in the draft. Did you know that James Hird, one of the modern greats, was picked very late in the draft? Clubs dont just look at the talent of players either, they look at motivation, school marks, and general attitude. By allowing each club to get its own income streams it means that they will all be trying to improve their financial situation rather than just relying on the AFL for funds each year. It is very hard to pick the premier each year in the AFL. Not many would have picked Geelong, or Hawthorn for the past two years, it would also have been hard to pick the Swans. Everyone a few years ago was saying that St Kilda had a great list (built from draft picks), and that they would certainly win a premiership in the coming years. It has never happened, and their list is now older. But they could still suprise this year.
Lazza
Guest
This is Australia so no-one is allowed to challenge corporations like the AFL in the courts. The whole system is fundamentally flawed. At the moment teams operate on a 16 year cycle where everyone in theory has a chance to win the premiership. As you slide down the table you get rewarded with draft picks etc. The problem is that with all those incentives to fail teams will resort to ‘tanking’ to get an advantage. If you happen to have a great coach who defies the odds and keeps getting into the top 8 then you are just penalising your team and wont get any of the new talent that’s coming through. Why not just give every team an equal share of the TV/Sponsorship money and make them all operate under a strict salary cap? Think of the advantages. Every team will have an even chance of winning every season. It just depends on how smart you are in assembling a squad under the confines of the salary cap. You can then properly judge a team, the recruiting and the coach. At the moment fans just assume it’s not their year and they’ll have to wait till the draft lottery numbers come their way? I don’t buy this argument that the best players will stay in their home State. You see players moving around the country in every other sports league to get a game. You can’t load your team with too many star players because of the salary cap. Can anyone present a sensible argument as to why this won’t work? It works very well in the A-League and other sports.
Forgetmenot
Guest
If the word free is removed how would the price of the players be determined? Would the AFL say that for regular first team players, a price of $400,000, and for players on the fringe, $200,000. Would it cost more to go from a top 4 side to a bottom 4 side. I havent picked my dream team yet. But my strategy is to go on to the Big Footy board and look at what players they are all discussing, and see what players are the bargains. It saves myself from sifting through all of the players.