There have been many solutions put forward to decrease incentives for teams finishing at the bottom of the ladder in the midst of the findings from the Melbourne tanking investigation.
Most of these don’t solve the problem. Many still offer incentives for teams to not put in their best effort on game day.
Under my suggested solution you could not accuse a team of tanking in order to gain a better draft pick.
Under my solution, the team that finished ninth gets the number one draft pick.
The other positions on the ladder receive the following picks:
Finishing Position/Draft Pick
9th – No.1
10th – No.2
11th – No.3
12th – No.4
13th – No.5
14th – No.6
15th – No.7
16th – No.8
17th – No.9
18th – No.10
8th – No.11
7th – No.12
6th – No.13
5th – No.14
4th – No.15
3rd – No.16
2nd – No.17
1st – No.18.
After the first round pick order resumes as it currently is with last place receiving the first pick in round two of the draft.
Qualifications for the priority pick will be abolished and priority picks will be issued under the AFL’s discretion where they think a team is struggling and needs an extra draft pick.
This way clubs don’t have a benchmark to aim for to improve draft position.
This draft order will ensure all teams strive to win every week and the tanking debate will be put to bed.
There is no way a team would engineer their results to finish ninth. Even if they wanted to it would be difficult.
I mean which club would prefer to finish ninth than eighth?
Martin
Guest
I could be wrong, but I suspect there is a lot of tanking happening in the NAB Cup rounds. Only the NAB grand final seems fair dinkum. If not, then please explain why some of the teams' best players are watching from the grandstand?
Alfred Chan
Expert
The point of the current system is to ensure equality across the league and quite frankly, it works. Clubs turn around and no team is stuck at the bottom for anymore than five years. Melbourne have been stuck there because they went out of their way to lose rather than losing while actually developing. If the AFL adopted your method, wouldn't the bottom four clubs just continually be stuck there?
Andrew A
Guest
Terrific suggestions Lroy. The current system definitely has to change which might only happen once Demetriou is replaced. The AFL had their head in the sand when it was obvious to everyone what was going on with the Kruezer Cup etc.
Lroy
Guest
I think there should simply be a draft lottery, bottom 8 clubs go in the draw for spots 1-8... the rest of the clubs go into the lottery for the rest.... BUt.. you re do the lottery every round.. so.. you might get pick 13 in the first round... then after a second lottery, you get pick 19 (effectively 1st in the second round)... and so on and so on. Clubs should then be able to swap and trade draft picks... And every club should have a priority pick from their recruiting zone.. we have a situation now where clubs like Essendon, Carlton etc may not have a single guy on their list who actually hails from that area. Finally, instead of this Irish series, why not have the National under 18s carnival held 2 weeks after the grand final... we all get to watch the young guys on TV.. you have the grand final on a Sunday... and the draft starts on Monday.. :-)
Lroy
Guest
Didnt the AFL rule that Melbourne didnt tank? Therefore there is no need to change the rules... ROFL...
Andrew A
Guest
Very good suggested solution. A club in 8th come the final round, realising they're no realistic premiership chance, could tank to finish 9th and claim no. 1. Perhaps a lottery for all teams except the preliminary finalists or top 6 might eliminate the incentive to tank. Definitely a tough issue to solve.
langou
Roar Guru
Interesting but I am pretty sure that the problem is already solved with the removal of priority picks