The Australian Football League said that "it is willing to explore ways to fast-track the on-field turnaround of perennial battlers, conceding bottoming out no longer works for some clubs," according to Jon Ralph of the HERALD SUN. AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan "made that significant concession on the weekend, with the league investigating how to quicken the transition from struggler to top-eight side." He said that "there was now enough evidence to suggest financial powerhouses could use football department spending to stay at the top almost indefinitely." McLachlan: "I think it’s a real issue. The theory of equalization is that every club has a one in 18 chance and ultimately every club will get their chance over a period of time. ... If there are opportunities to accelerate that then we’ll explore them." The league has all but abolished the priority pick and "is reviewing the draft age." McLachlan said that some AFL coaches "wanted a lift in draft age so their high picks made an instant impact." Some critics of free agency believe that "if the top six sides from the previous year were banned from accessing free agents it would help battling clubs" (HERALD SUN, 4/12).
