League tweaks rules to level playing field and limit access to top talent for premiership contenders

“The focus for us is that when you’re providing access outside the normal operation of the draft the fair price is paid,” Dillon said.

However, three club officials who spoke to this masthead on the condition they remained anonymous as they worked in recruiting said the horse had already bolted with the talent landing on the Lions’ and Suns’ lists before the changes were made.

At Wednesday’s meeting officials were told the new rules will apply this season, meaning Carlton will need to pay a higher price for Cody Walker (son of former Blues great Andrew) and Port Adelaide will have to stump up for Doug Cochrane, who was deemed eligible to be part of their Next Generation academy. Essendon will also have to pay a high price to secure Koby Bewick when he is draft eligible in 2027 if he continues his strong form.

Despite their disappointment the rule is not being grandfathered in, Carlton prepared for that likelihood when they nabbed Sydney’s first-round picks for the next two seasons as well as a couple of players in exchange for star forward Charlie Curnow.

It means they are well stocked with first-round picks if a bid is made on Walker inside the first three selections. Port Adelaide have an extra round-two pick in 2026 as well as their own first- and second-round pick and have been on the record as saying they weren’t active in the 2025 national draft or trade period to accumulate points to match expected bids on emerging talent.

Because of the change, however, they may have to find early selections to match an early bid for Cochrane – which is why a trade for free agent Zak Butters would be critical if the star midfielder decides to leave.

One club official said the proposals were almost daring teams not to add top-line players who were available to them via academies or the father-son rule.

Queensland- and NSW-based clubs argue that their academies have been a huge driver in overall interest in the game and that many of the players they have acquired through their academy would have played a sport other than Australian rules football if not for the academies. 

Lions president Andrew Wellington also made it clear when he spoke at Wednesday’s season launch that the momentum gained in growing the game in non-traditional states should be fuelled further rather than introducing policies that rein in the academies. He tried to dismiss talk of a dynasty, saying the Lions had finished third and fifth on the ladder before winning the flag.

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Carlton were defeated on Thursday night by Sydney, whose captain Callum Mills and vice captain Isaac Heeney are both academy graduates – as are two of their star players, Errol Gulden and Nick Blakey. Carlton had father-son Harry Dean playing his first match and three players who had been squeezed out of the Swans, George Hewett (who joined the Blues as a free agent), Will Hayward and Ollie Florent.

The Suns thrashed Geelong on Friday night with several academy graduates in their team and coach Damien Hardwick said there would be selection headaches through the year because of the list’s quality.

Giants CEO Dave Matthews says Greater Western Sydney should be treated differently to the other northern-based clubs as their academy has been nowhere near as bountiful as the other three teams.

Club chair Tim Reed presented to the commission arguing the AFL needs to be very strategic in its investment in the region to grow both participation and support in the NRL stronghold.

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