The AFL Players’ Association proposal on player movement will entrench and further enhance the AFL’s competition’s most desirable and valuable feature - competitive balance, according to AFLPA CEO Brendon Gale.

Titled “A more flexible market for AFL players”, the proposal argues that the introduction of a limited form of free agency will be a win for fans, the code, clubs and players.

The paper has been presented to the AFLPA / AFL player movement working party, which was created to formally review the rules regulating AFL player movement following the successful conclusion of the 2007 – 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement.

At its heart, the paper strikes a balance between respecting the integrity and fabric of our game, whilst offering supporters, clubs, players and the code the first real prospect of improving competitive balance since the ‘ten year rule’ of the 1970’s.

In the modern era, the lack of competitive balance within the AFL is starkly visible. Fewer clubs are enjoying success via finals appearances or premierships. Clubs at the bottom of the AFL ladder have no effective way of quickly making themselves more competitive. Teams finishing in the bottom two positions on the AFL ladder over the past 20 years have taken around 6 years to reach the top 4 and 12 years to play in a Grand Final. The AFLPA proposal offers that vital sentiment of hope to supporters and clubs that a successful season is not too far away by allowing struggling clubs the ability to obtain players specific to their needs, without losing a player or draft pick.

The plan also tackles widely acknowledged issues associated with a malfunctioning trade week which continues to fail those players wishing to carry on their AFL career after delistment and are finding opportunities to do so are severely limited. For example, in 2001, 33 players were traded by AFL clubs during trade week, whilst in 2007, only 9 players were drafted.

Crucially, the AFLPA’s proposal maintains the three fundamental mechanisms guaranteeing clubs compete on a comparatively level playing field;

The salary cap

Prevents one club outspending another to buy success or a premiership;

The draft system

The best young talent is evenly distributed to clubs
according the clubs season results;

Revenue sharing

The AFL redistributes funds to less affluent clubs allowing such clubs to spend close to 100% of the capped amount.

Equally important, under the AFLPA plan, negative aspects of free agency experienced in some other sports will not occur. Players will not be permitted to sign with rival clubs mid season. Players and agents may only negotiate with clubs following strict criteria. And with the average AFL players career spanning just 4 seasons, most players will never secure restricted free agency rights, preventing large scale movement of players to rival clubs.

AFL Players’ Association CEO Brendon Gale commented on the papers release saying,

“I commend the papers authors for the work which has gone into this landmark document. We believe we have contributed a thoughtful and considered response to this issue. For many years, the AFL has worked towards achieving competitive balance, and rightly so as this is a critical feature of any successful sporting competition.”

“However, our research tells us that competitive balance cannot be said to have been achieved by the code to this point. Our proposal, which strikes a balance between the desires of the competition, fans and players, charts a course for the code to join every other major professional sporting competition in the world, whilst maintaining key, well supported mechanisms such as the salary cap and draft. By taking away the stringent restraints on player movement, clubs could more easily recruit the specific types of players that they identify as being crucial to achieving a higher level of short term success. The average AFL players’ career lasts approximately 4 seasons. Therefore under our model, players with average career length will never be able to exercise free agency.”

“The AFL remains the only sophisticated professional competition in the world with no level of free agency rights for its players. We view our proposal as an evolution, rather than a revolution which offers fans, clubs, players and the code a considered and innovative blueprint which is respectful and mindful of the features which have made the AFL Australia’s number 1 sporting code, but which also has an eye on the future to help ensure even greater levels of the codes future success.”