There’s been a lot of people saying a lot of things about free agency in recent times.

Writing in Perth’s Sunday Times newspaper Brad Hardie said free agency is evil and must be exorcised before it haunts AFL clubs. However, in the same week Leigh Matthews described free agency as inevitable and referred to the reaction of some football industry figures to free agency as bordering on paranoia.

In the midst of so much polarized debate, AFLPA.COM.AU caught up with AFLPA General Manager, Operations – Matt Finnis to try to sort some of the myths from the facts.

Let’s start with an easy one – what exactly is free agency?

Put simply, free agency is the right of an out-of-contract player to negotiate his next contract freely with any club in the competition.

Who would be eligible for free agency?

The AFLPA has a number of ideas about how free agency should be introduced into the AFL but is not wedded to a particular outcome. By way of example, it could be that a player with 5 years service at his club has a right to negotiate directly with other clubs but if his existing club matches the best offer then it can retain the player – this is called restricted free agency. Perhaps after 7 years service at his original club the player would become a free agent who is entitled to negotiate directly with a new club without any restrictions.

So how would free agency affect other features of the AFL system such as trade week, the draft and the veteran’s rule?

Free agency would not affect the even distribution of talented young players amongst the clubs which occurs via the National Draft. The pre-season draft could also be retained for players who do not have free agency rights. It is likely that the introduction of free agency would encourage more activity between clubs in Trade Week as it provides a means for clubs to exchange players and draft picks before an eligible player exercises his free agency rights.

The relationship between free agency and the veteran’s rule is interesting because it is likely that a player who exercises his right to be a free agent and change clubs will be giving up the opportunity to ever qualify as a veteran and be able to have a portion of his salary excluded from the total player payments limit.

How does it work in other professional sports?

In Australia, rugby league, rugby union, soccer and basketball all have free agency for their players. In the USA, basketball, baseball, ice-hockey and the NFL all have free agency as do all the professional soccer leagues in Europe. Whilst all these sports have their own unique differences in how they structure free agency it is interesting to note that none of the sports have suffered since it was introduced – rather they have enjoyed increases in the number of clubs, supporters and key revenue streams.

Does this mean we would see players signing contracts to play for opposition teams in the middle of the season as occurs in the NRL?

Not at all. Under the AFLPA proposal, free agency rights would not accrue until the end of the season and clubs would be prohibited from contracting new players until this time.

With free agency, wouldn’t the richest clubs end up with the best players?

No. The salary cap and limited list sizes which are both strictly enforced in the AFL competition will prevent wealthy clubs from monopolizing the better players. Each AFL Club has the same amount to spend on its players. We recognise that some clubs have better facilities and more off-field resources than others which may be relevant in seeking to attract players, however there are currently a range of initiatives being implemented across the AFL to address such inequities.

If an AFL Club loses a top player, shouldn’t they be compensated by getting something in return (such as a different player or draft picks)?

We don’t consider that players should be considered as assets which can be bought, sold or traded at the whim of a club. Mechanics, lawyers and teachers – even AFL coaches – all change jobs at the end of their contracts without their employer receiving any form of compensation. Football players should not have to work under conditions the law would not allow for other employees.

In any case, under the AFL system, clubs do get something when they “lose” a player – a vacant position on their list and room in their salary cap to attract a new player. Not to mention that the Clubs have already received something in return --- the player’s services for years, two of which were at a fixed salary, with little or no guarantee of ongoing employment for the player.

At the end of the day, is the push for free agency simply just about the money?

No. It’s about choice and self-determination. A player may want to play in a certain city or for a club with greater opportunities for him or with a family member, or in a certain colour uniform if that is what motivates him. Free agency gives players options and the right, at some point in their career – to exercise control over their professional occupation.

Will free agency spell the end of the romantic notion of a one club player?

We don’t think so. You need to remember that free agency is all about choice and providing options – for players and clubs. Clubs have the option to keep a player in contract, match other offers and incentives such as the veteran’s rule to retain their players over time. On the other hand, players also have the choice to play their entire career at one club and enjoy the benefits which such loyalty provides.

How does free agency fit in with the expansion of the AFL competition to 18 teams?

The reality is that it would be very difficult to expand the competition without having free agency. In order to create new teams which are competitive right from the start, you need playing lists which have the right mix of rookies, young players, regular senior players as well as some stars of the game. When Fremantle and Port Adelaide entered the competition they were given the right to directly secure the services of uncontracted players from existing AFL clubs without having to use draft picks – this was a limited form of free agency.

The other important point to consider is that free agency would assist poor performing existing clubs improve their lists during an expansion period when talented junior players and top draft picks have been allocated to the new teams on a priority basis.