To trade or to draft, that is the question.

[Booney]

Remember when football was taken “one week at a time”?

This may still be true for those who take to the field every weekend through the Australian winter but it couldn’t be further from the truth for those in the football departments who shape and mould the playing lists for the 18 AFL clubs. Those football departments have grown beyond belief in recent times, so much so the AFL has placed a soft cap on the clubs spending in this department.

This, many will argue, is the most important resource a modern day club has at their disposal. Not only are they charged with identifying junior talent as it comes through the ranks (starting as young as U13 level) they are also tasked with managing and distributing the Total Player Payments to the playing list all the while keeping an eye on the future and supplying the coaching staff with the tools they need to succeed on field and ultimately they give the fans reason to hand over their hard earned in membership, game day spend and merchandise.

Restricted and unrestricted free agents (RFA and UFA) are being courted 3 or 4 years out from their eligibility for free agency and clubs are front ending, mid loading and back ending contracts in a constant juggling act to ensure they do not exceed the TPP. The goal though is and always will be on field success and there’s a couple of ways you can head to either achieve or sustain this success.

The two newest franchises, Gold Coast and GWS, were granted unprecedented draft concessions when they started their journey in the AFL world. These draft concessions (among other factors) have become almost impossible to manage for these two clubs as they lose top 10 pick after top 10 pick to rival clubs swooping on the virtual football factories the AFL built in yellow, red, orange and grey.

So the question is, how do you build your playing list for the future. Do you trade for established players, do you chase and woo UFA and RFA’s or do you go to the draft and build a squad from here? I guess it depends on many factors. Where are you on the ladder right now, where will you be in the next 2-3 years and where will you be in 5 years?

The first method, successfully used by Hawthorn in recent times requires a level of success in the first instance to create a program players are wanting to buy into. Port Adelaide have been called a “destination club” in recent years by securing top end talent like Paddy Ryder, Charlie Dixon and the three additions this trade period Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop by offering a program that appears to be set for finals action in the coming years.

Other clubs haven’t been able to attract these UFA or RFA’s to their clubs. North Melbourne put enormous offers in front of Dustin Martin and Josh Kelly only for both to remain at their respective clubs and play in a premiership and preliminary final respectively. Both choosing success over money, to coin a phrase.

So where to for the likes of North Melbourne, Brisbane and to a lesser extent Fremantle and the GC? Do they stock up on first and second round picks in the next two drafts and try and secure two or three first round picks in the 2018 “super draft” or do they once again try and attract FA and RFA’s with the promises of riches?

If they go down the draft path and secure a handful or top end picks they could risk the same fate as the GC,GWS and Brisbane. Spend considerable resources on identifying, drafting and developing these talented youngsters only to have the unenviable task of trying to fit them all into the TPP in years to come and, almost inevitably, lose some to the highest bidder when the young stars reach their football prime.

Or do they fill bags of cash up and build the so called “war chest” North Melbourne have and court free agents two or three years out from becoming available on the open market?

And what does each path do to the culture of the clubs? How would it sit with long serving, hard as a cats head Ben Cunnington if North had successfully courted Dustin Martin to know the blow in from Richmond is on $1.5m a year while he’s on $700k?

You could choose to take the path Hawthorn have. You can release ageing stars to rival clubs when their best football is behind them to relieve salary cap space and trade for young stars looking to be a part of a culture and program that has achieved the ultimate success and appears to be avoiding the dreaded bottom out, aiming for a quick return to finals action.

If you’ve ever thought that a job in the football department of your club would be a dream come true perhaps think again, it could be a nightmare in broad daylight.

[Brodlach]

Talk on Trade Radio that clubs are now drafting/trading to a 10 year plan.

[Mr Beefy]

Is it just me but is it always next year that is going to be a "superdraft"?

[therisingblues]

The two newest franchises, Gold Coast and GWS, were granted unprecedented draft concessions when they started their journey in the AFL world. These draft concessions (among other factors) have become almost impossible to manage for these two clubs as they lose top 10 pick after top 10 pick to rival clubs swooping on the virtual football factories the AFL built in yellow, red, orange and grey.

Sorry to go a little off track so early in the thread Booney (well written article BTW, all your own doing?) but the above paragraph for me is symptomatic of what a crap idea it is to have these two clubs in the AFL. Part of the reason no one wants to stick around there is that no one supports them, and they have no football culture. You have three hard core football states (SA, WA and Tassie) under represented on the national stage, and the AFL is performing back-flips to prop up these two duds. The number of Sturt supporters at the SANFL Grand Final was quite possibly 4 times what GWS took with them to their Preliminary Final appearance this year. Read what you want in to that comment, but the irony is that a state league side, handicapped with a harsh salary cap, minuscule media exposure, and forced to play against reserves sides is far more popular than a team from a national comp, gifted with all the bells and whistles that go along with that.
I understand that they want to build the game, but there are ways to do things...
Anyway, my apologies once again, but I am sure that "contrived" goes a long way to explain the existence of these two puppets.

[Booney]

The two newest franchises, Gold Coast and GWS, were granted unprecedented draft concessions when they started their journey in the AFL world. These draft concessions (among other factors) have become almost impossible to manage for these two clubs as they lose top 10 pick after top 10 pick to rival clubs swooping on the virtual football factories the AFL built in yellow, red, orange and grey.

Sorry to go a little off track so early in the thread Booney (well written article BTW, all your own doing?) but the above paragraph for me is symptomatic of what a crap idea it is to have these two clubs in the AFL. Part of the reason no one wants to stick around there is that no one supports them, and they have no football culture. You have three hard core football states (SA, WA and Tassie) under represented on the national stage, and the AFL is performing back-flips to prop up these two duds. The number of Sturt supporters at the SANFL Grand Final was quite possibly 4 times what GWS took with them to their Preliminary Final appearance this year. Read what you want in to that comment, but the irony is that a state league side, handicapped with a harsh salary cap, minuscule media exposure, and forced to play against reserves sides is far more popular than a team from a national comp, gifted with all the bells and whistles that go along with that.
I understand that they want to build the game, but there are ways to do things...
Anyway, my apologies once again, but I am sure that "contrived" goes a long way to explain the existence of these two puppets.

Thanks TRB, yes, my work and I completely agree.

[mighty_tiger_79]

Clearly there isnt much 'work' happening at Booney's place of employment for what he is paid to do....
An epic email to PAFC that was littered with hashtags telling Kenny how to pick the side for round 1 2018 and now this....


#iwantboonsjob

[gossipgirl]

I miss Morrell

[Feenix]

Is it just me but is it always next year that is going to be a "superdraft"?

Definitely not just you, I was just thinking that the other day.

[Booney]

8) I miss Morrell

Charts and graphs with pretty colors easier than lots of wordy things?

[MW]

I think it depends what "window" clubs think they are in.

Clubs like NM, GC, Bris etc would be in a 5 year plan which would be better off going to the draft and have some senior players around them to develop i.e. Bris with Hodge.

Clubs like Port are in that window where they think they are some established mid range players away from a flag. High risk, high reward as some of these players are not wanted by their old clubs but Port (or whoever else uses this tactic) needs to turn them from maligned into stars for it to work. It worked for the likes of Lynch at Adelaide though so can happen.

Clubs like Adelaide, Geelong are in that window were they will only bring in established talent that will directly improve their team in an area that is deficient. Think Gibbs for Adelaide. Think Henderson, Smith, Danger etc for Geelong.

[Dutchy]

Port perhaps need to win a final for the first time since 2014 before we start talking about their "window"

[Brodlach]

8) I miss Morrell

Charts and graphs with pretty colors easier than lots of wordy things?

Has he been banned?

[Lightning McQueen]

8) I miss Morrell

Charts and graphs with pretty colors easier than lots of wordy things?

Has he been banned?

New job.

[Lightning McQueen]

8) I miss Morrell

You're only human....... I think.

Please complete the following:

[daysofourlives]

Port have decided this years draft is so bad they are going to take recycled players on one year contracts (DFA) rather than draft kids that they have to sign for 2 years. They will then reload with young talent at next years superdraft. Smart move IMO.
Does anyone know if they have to actually draft anyone?
Rookies are also one year propositions are they not? If so i could see them loading up with the maximum rookies and leaving their primary list one or two short.
Think they will take 2 of Merret, Thomas and Mackenzie maybe even all three.

[gadj1976]

I'd prefer trading known quantities with pick 50 + than drafting kids. Generally speaking those picks turn out to be no good. The player you get for pick 50+ can be ok/serviceable but at least you know what you're getting.

With anything less than 50 it really is up to the club in question and depth of the draft. I think if you're in our situation, we need depth, so moving Gibbs on for two picks is great for us longer term. Short term, no good, longer term hopefully, great!

[Brodlach]

Not sure about that, Chris Grant and James Hird say hello. Both picked over 80

So many players are even coming off rookie lists. Laird, Cameron and Rutten to name a few

[gadj1976]

Not sure about that, Chris Grant and James Hird say hello. Both picked over 80

So many players are even coming off rookie lists. Laird, Cameron and Rutten to name a few

That's not a sample size that makes me think otherwise. Plus that was many moons ago when draftees weren't as heavily monitored and scrutinised.

[Brodlach]

They were some just off the top of my head

[VALE PARK]

How many will be drafted from SA in 2018?