Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has criticized the AFL for being reactive after the league announced changes to the draft bidding system. The new rules require clubs to use more picks to match bids on father-son or academy prospects, a move that has divided clubs and angered fans.
AFL general manager of football Greg Swann defended the changes on AFL 360, stating they were necessary to prevent scenarios like Richmond's last year, where their first-round pick slid from No. 2 to No. 7 due to matched bids. Swann also confirmed that starting this year, bottom-five clubs whose first-round pick slides due to matched bids will receive a second-round compensation pick.
The changes have drawn sharp criticism from Port Adelaide chairman David Koch, who said, “We’re furious. It is putting the V back in AFL.” He argued that the rules were introduced too abruptly, just months before the draft, rather than being phased in over several years.
Carlton and Port Adelaide are expected to be most affected, with Carlton needing to use picks 3 and 27 to match a potential bid on father-son prospect Cody Walker. Swann described the requirement as “doable,” but critics point to Brisbane’s recent success in acquiring top prospects like Will Ashcroft for minimal compensation under the old rules.
Beveridge noted that the AFL has become a “punching bag” for various issues, adding, “We’re trying to make things perfect in a game that’s chaotic.” He also highlighted the league’s history of reactive rule changes, saying, “It’s the operational regime of the last 15 years that keep changing things.”
