AFL clubs are reportedly making a push for a fourth trade period currency — being able to buy draft picks using salary cap space.
AFL Media journalist Callum Twomey reports clubs down the bottom of the ladder with sufficient cap space would be able to use it to its advantage to gain draft capital from other teams.
While clubs currently trade using players, picks and draft points — the latter two tied together — Twomey revealed clubs are lobbying to introduce salary cap as another mechanism.
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“There’s a fourth one I’m bringing to the table and has crept in really quickly and that’s payments. There’s three or four different currencies that are happening at the moment and clubs are keen to be able to buy draft picks using their salary cap space,” Twomey said on SEN Breakfast.
“It’s a fair way down the line at the moment. A bit of a landmark deal in terms of the Jack Bowes deal and what Geelong did to get a pick there.
“What the price of a draft pick is will be a massive question in coming seasons and clubs want it to happen pretty soon.”
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The AFL has already allowed more salary dump deals in a big change to the trade period landscape, where teams can off-load unwanted salaries to cash-up rivals or otherwise use cap space more strategically.
And Twomey believes clubs being able to use cap space in trades would be a “natural evolution” of salary dumping, providing an example of how it could be utilised.
“West Coast has some money in its cap and Collingwood is pretty tight, for example,” Twomey said.
“So Collingwood say to West Coast, ‘we’ll give you our first round pick this year if you give us $500,000 salary cap relief.’
“There’s a limit and the AFL would need mechanisms to ensure you don’t go too far and one club is able to spend $20 million on their salary cap and another club is at $14 million.
“But go back to that deal and West Coast goes and purchases a pick for $500,000, the Pies retain their players and no one gets squeezed out, and the Eagles get a second hit at the draft.”
INTEREST IN BOMBER AS ONE OF 13 MID-SEASON DRAFTEES UNSIGNED
Rival teams are eyeing Essendon defender Massimo D’Ambrosio as one of 13 players from last year’s mid-season rookie draft coming out of contract, reports AFL Media.
After playing eight games in the back-end of last year, D’Ambrosio, 20, has made just four appearances for the Bombers this year under Brad Scott, while fellow mid-season recruit Jye Menzie also remains unsigned.
Only one of the 17 players drafted from last June’s crop had their contract extended beyond this season, with Hawthorn ruckman Max Ramsden penning a two-year deal until 2025.
West Coast’s Jai Culley, who ruptured his ACL a fortnight ago, North Melbourne’s Kallan Dawson and Port Adelaide’s Brynn Teackle are other who remain out of contract.
Carlton’s Will Hayes, Geelong’s Zane Williams and Adelaide’s Brett Turner were the only three players from last year’s mid-season draft to get delisted their initial six-month contracts expired.
2022 MID-SEASON DRAFT
Round 1
1. West Coast Eagles — Jai Culley (Dandenong Stingrays)
2. North Melbourne — Kallan Dawson (Williamstown VFL)
3. Essendon — Massimo D’Ambrosio (Western Jets)
4. Adelaide Crows — Brett Turner (Glenelg)
5. GWS Giants — Wade Derksen (Peel Thunder)
6. Hawthorn — Max Ramsden (Sandringham Dragons)
7. Gold Coast Suns — Oskar Faulkhead (Bendigo Pioneers)
8. Port Adelaide — Brynn Teakle (East Fremantle)
9. Collingwood — Josh Carmichael (West Adelaide)
10. Richmond — Jacob Bauer (North Adelaide)
11. Sydney Swans — Hugo Hall-Kahan (Sandringham Dragons)
12. Geelong Cats — Zane Williams (Woodville-West Torrens)
13. Carlton — Sam Durdin (Glenelg)
14. St Kilda — Pass
15. Fremantle — Sebit Kuek (East Perth)
Round 2
16. West Coast Eagles — Pass
17. North Melbourne — Pass
18. Essendon — Jye Menzie (South Adelaide)
19. Adelaide Crows — Pass
20. Hawthorn — James Blanck (Box Hill Hawks)
21. Collingwood — Pass
22. Carlton — Will Hayes (Carlton VFL)
23. Fremantle — Pass
