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Bock move highlights free agency difficulties

By Mr Dandalooa

In February, the AFL announced it will introduce various categories of free agency from 2012 for players who have served eight or more years at one club.

The League and the AFL Players Association agreed to introduce the new scheme, which they say will allow delisted and long-serving players to easily move between clubs without necessarily relying on the draft or a trade.

It’s understood that if the player sits in the top 10 highest paid players at the club an opportunity exists for the clubs to match any offer from a rival club for the out of contract player.

The player will then have the option of remaining with the current club, being traded or nominating for the draft. 

But naysayers suggest if free agency enters the AFL, it will mean the death of player loyalty.

This week, AFL head honcho Andrew Demetriou suggested incoming club Gold Coast would not kill of loyalty either.

He said he shared none of Adelaide senior coach Neil Craig’s pessimism about loyalty after Nathan Bock defected to the Suns.

Demetriou said no existing club should complain about recruiting concessions given to the new club or the looming era of free agency, given their roles in approving the regulations.

He said there were six or seven club representatives on the group that formed the rules, and all the clubs were aware of it.

Demetriou claimed it was a mature and sensible way Adelaide and Bock went through with it.

“The Crows aren’t in the finals, Nathan Bock indicated that he’s looking at the Gold Coast Suns for his future, and they came together and agreed to part, and there’ll be more of those players that will be announced,” he said.

“They’re not the first players to leave a club.

“It seemed to be the logical thing, I hope Nathan does well on the Gold Coast and that the Crows are compensated adequately.”

FootyGoss has learned that Bock’s decision to join the Suns on a three-year deal is worth $1.8 million.

“Welcome to the new world of AFL ... that is the culture the AFL are about to create,” Craig said.

Western Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade, whose running defender Jarrod Harbrow has been closely linked with a move north, will continue to pick his best 22 regardless of whether a player had committed to the Suns for 2011.

He said decisions to quit clubs mid-season had happened for years.

“It’s just transparent because it’s a new team started,” said Eade.

These situations highlight the difficulties with a free agency in the AFL.

So how will the new system work?

Below is the AFL has outlined the scheme:

1.  A player has served seven seasons or less of AFL football at one club, and is now out of contract.

The player is not eligible for free agency if his club wishes to retain him. He may only move clubs via a trade or the Draft. If he delists himself, he is subject to the Draft, and may be selected by any club.

2.  A player has served seven seasons or less of AFL football at one club, and has been delisted by his club.

The player is a Free Agent and is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

The player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

The player can move automatically to the new club of his choice.

His original club, which chose to delist him, does not receive any compensation pick for the loss of the player.

3.  A player has served eight or more seasons of AFL football at one club, is one of the 10 highest-paid players at his club, and is now out of contract for the first time since reaching eight seasons of service.

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club has the right to match the presented offer.

If the club matches the offer, he may choose to remain with his original club, seek a trade or enter the Draft.

If the club does not or can not match the offer, the player can move to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula to apply where clubs lose more free agents than they gain in any single transfer period.

4.  A player has served eight or more seasons of AFL football at one club, is NOT one of the 10 highest-paid players at his club, and is now out of contract for the first time since reaching eight seasons of service.

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival AFL clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club does not have the right to match the presented offer, and the player can move automatically to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula.

5.  A player has served ten or more seasons of AFL football at one club, has already come out of contract once in the period after serving his first eight or more seasons at his club, and is now out of contract.

The player is eligible to field offers from all rival clubs.

If he wishes to change clubs, the player must decide on the best offer of his choice from one rival club.

His club does not have the right to match the presented offer, and the player can move automatically to the new club of his choice.

His original club will receive a compensation pick for the loss of the player, on an AFL-determined formula.