Mid-season trade period player moves fail due to resistance from non-Victorian clubs, national team swaps only, latest news

There are growing fears the AFL’s plan for mid-season player movement is backfiring, with non-Victorian clubs complaining the system would favor Victorian teams.

For many years the AFL has floated the idea of ​​a mid-season exchange period, much like the off-season period, allowing players to change guernseys if they are willing to do so.

And while the system has been expected to be introduced by 2025 for some time, the Herald Sun’s Jay Clark reported on Wednesday night that there is strong resistance from non-Victorian clubs who believe the mechanics are too complex and ultimately , players would be more likely to move to Victorian teams anyway.

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“For the last 12 months we have been thinking that this was going to come and it would be exciting: players would change clubs mid-season. But he could fall at the last hurdle,” Clark explained on Fox Footy’s Midweek Tackle.

“The green light could turn into a red light in the coming weeks. Talking to clubs over the last few weeks who have been doing these workshops with the AFL as part of the competitive balance review, it’s like, okay, time to roll up our sleeves, how do the rules actually work? How can players be traded mid-season?

“And the northern clubs and the interstate clubs in particular say it would clearly favor the Victorian clubs. Because if you’re moving clubs mid-season and you have kids, will you go from Carlton to Collingwood, from Western Bulldogs to St Kilda, or will you pack up your kids and go to Brisbane? You’re just not going to do it.

“There are also big ramifications around salary caps. Just say St Kilda want LDU (Luke Davies-Uniacke) and they’ll pay him $1.3m a year; Where does that cap space come from? In theory it was a good idea, but I think the player-by-player movement is almost dead, or that’s what the clubs say. “It could become a select-only thing, which is less exciting.”

Mid-season player swaps would still require the consent of the clubs and players involved, and the clubs that released the player would receive something in return.

But the Herald Sun’s Sam Landsberger described the non-Victorian clubs’ evasion, which could lead to a much less interesting pick swap period, as “the biggest setback I can remember”.

He questioned whether imposing restrictions in the mid-year period, ensuring only fringe players who are not playing senior games can move, would help cross the line.

“There is a really easy way to do it. Therefore, making it a lifesaver for players who don’t get a game; for example you have a limit, if you have played five state league games and no more than three AFL games then you can be traded between clubs. ”Landsberger said on Fox Footy.

“(Only fringe players) absolutely, the biggest concern for a mid-season trade period is the fact that you would suck the life out of the second half of the season, because you would have the top clubs picking up bottom stars. clubs. That’s the argument you get. So you don’t want Liam Baker, Cam Zurhaar and these players to be eliminated.

“But if it was down to the fringe players – Caleb Daniel, Nick Haynes, Jarryd Lyons, Angus Sheldrick, Rory Lobb, who are these guys who can’t get a chance at their club, genuine fringe players who can provide a chance to say ‘Hey, I’m not in my best 22, but I’d be in my best 22 at another club,’ I think that would work.”

Clark asked: “What if Caleb Daniel wants to change clubs mid-season and everything falls through? When he puts on the Bulldogs jersey again, how do the fans react?

Landsberger responded: “We’ve seen players request trades all the time and it backfires…any Western Bulldogs fan wouldn’t have a problem with Caleb Daniel coming back because they would understand why he’s doing it.”

Colleague Lauren Wood asked why the AFL was “so afraid of failure”.

“This is not like the United States, where players are traded especially against their will; we may have players who want to move. Just try it; If it doesn’t work, we’ll cancel it,” he said.