The Australian Football League "will seriously consider allowing clubs to trade future draft picks -- adopting a model from American sports -- with a number of clubs and influential figures in favour of the right to trade draft selections a year in advance," according to Jake Niall of THE AGE.
Essendon football operations GM Rob Kerr "has voiced support for the trading of future picks following the club's difficulties in striking a deal for Paddy Ryder, while Collingwood also favours the right to trade future draft picks."
Should the trading of future picks be introduced for '15, "it is likely to have major limits, such as that clubs could only trade one year in advance" -- a deal reached in '15 could include a draft pick for '16, but not '17, for example.
Another proposal that the AFL is expected to consider "is that clubs would be limited to trading one future selection -- a first-round or second-round choice -- in the course of a post-season." While allowing the exchange of future draft selections -- long established in the major American team sports -- "has been raised in the past, the AFL has opposed it, largely due to a concern that clubs would trade away their future prosperity if they were permitted to give up future choices" (THE AGE, 12/4).
