Essendon coach Brad Scott has thrown his support behind a pick purchasing system, saying it’s a model that will help clubs rebound quickly from the lower depths of the AFL ladder.
As it stands clubs can trade by three means – players, draft picks and points.
But a new method is quickly gaining support at club land – using salary cap space to buy picks from other teams.
For example, a struggling team like West Coast who are keen to fast-track their rebuild could use any free space in their salary cap to buy a top-end draft pick from a rival club.
The receiving club would then be able to add that money to their existing salary cap, giving them greater scope to keep their squad together.
“I think it’s a great concept. I’m a huge proponent of it,” Scott told reporters on Thursday.
“It makes real sense. Anything that can give clubs the ability to try to bounce quicker (is a good thing).
“The AFL have been really clear in that they don’t want to see clubs stuck down the bottom for a long period of time.
“That’s all very well to say they don’t want that – (but) they’ve got to provide mechanisms for clubs to bounce out.”
Free agency was introduced at the end of 2012.
But instead of helping struggling clubs it generally resulted in players flocking to clubs already in the premiership window.
A pick purchasing system would give bottom clubs a genuine chance to fast-track their rebuild.
“If you look at the situation when you’re down the bottom, how do you get more first-round picks in? It’s very difficult when you don’t have players to trade,” Scott said.
“You see the clubs that bounce really quickly, it’s the ability to get multiple early picks and get them in succession.
“So another mechanism in terms of purchasing picks to allow that to happen makes a heap of sense.
“The exciting thing is there seems to be a strong appetite for things like this from club land.
“And whether it’s trading future picks – threes in advance instead of one or two – those discussions are being had.
“Anything that opens up the market I think is a good thing.”
Australian Associated Press