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THE NEW points system has enhanced player movement and not been a 'loophole' manipulated by clubs, according to the AFL.
The League introduced the draft value index – where each draft pick from No.1-73 is allocated a points value on a sliding scale – to this year's picks and saw it have an immediate impact in the trade period.
The points system was established to force clubs to pay market value for top-end academy and father-son prospects, which also led to the initiation of the trading of future draft picks.
Three clubs who will need to pay for top-end academy talent at next month's NAB AFL Draft – Greater Western Sydney, the Sydney Swans and Brisbane Lions – all traded down from their early selections to accumulate more points with multiple back-end selections.
It meant they attached themselves to other deals to accrue picks worth more points later in the draft. As a counter, clubs such as Melbourne and Carlton improved their draft position by dealing with the Giants, who were searching for more points.
While some clubs questioned the power that was effectively given to the northern clubs under the points-based system, the AFL's general counsel Andrew Dillon said it allowed for more deals to be achieved.
"It's an interesting one. Given the way the system works, it allowed for a lot more trading of selections as people were able to put different prices on the values," Dillon told AFL.com.au.
"I didn't see a negative in it. It certainly made it more interesting and it helped a few trades happen. We had 40 players change clubs, which is the most in recent memory."
The points system was developed using statistical analysis of player salary data from 2000-2014, which was seen as an indicator of the relative 'market' value for each selection.
But some clubs believe there was too many points assigned to later picks – for instance, pick 40 is worth 429 points, almost a third of the value of pick 10 (1395 points).
Dillon said in a shallower draft pool the values of later picks might be skewed, but that in a stronger year they might be seen as more equitable.
He said clubs did not expose a hole in the system, because they still had to pay for players when early bids are matched on draft night. The AFL plans to review the points system after November's draft.
"We didn't necessarily have any preconceived ideas on how they might or might not use [the points system]. When you see it in action it makes sense," Dillon said.
"In the end if they're using them to trade down to other picks and end up matching a bid…it's the same as matching it with the earlier pick anyway.
"It's not a loophole because in the end they're still paying the same price. That's why I don't understand why anyone would have an issue with it, but we'll listen to people and find out what those issues are.
"It's certainly not a loophole because it was always allowed."
Clubs pushed for the ability to trade future picks this year and the AFL ticked off on their acquisition over the past two weeks.
"The future picks did exactly what we thought it would do. It provided more currency for clubs to be able to facilitate trades, so they did exactly what we thought they would do," Dillon said.
"I thought everyone seemed to use them for what they needed."
