The AFL Commission has approved a series of changes to the AFLW Draft and talent concessions framework, with the first changes to come into effect from the 2027 Telstra AFLW Draft.
The changes are designed to protect the Draft as a key competitive balance mechanism, while maintaining appropriate incentives for clubs to invest in talent pathways.
From the 2027 Telstra AFLW Draft, changes will be made to the Draft bidding system, alongside the introduction of live Draft night trading.
Under the updated bidding system:
- For bids placed between selections one and 19, the matching club will be required to use a selection within 10 selections of the bid.
- For bids placed from selection 20 onwards, the matching club will be required to use a selection within a matching range of 20 selections.
Live trading of Draft selections will also be introduced from the 2027 Telstra AFLW Draft, allowing clubs to trade Draft selections during Draft night.
From the 2028 Telstra AFLW Draft, changes will be made to the parent-child talent concession.
The eligibility threshold for talent concessions attached to children of former AFL players will increase to 100 AFL games, aligning with the AFL father-son rule.
Talent concessions attached to children of former AFLW players will also be introduced from the 2028 Telstra AFLW Draft, with the eligibility framework to be finalised following further industry consultation and communicated in early 2027.
AFL Executive General Manager of AFLW, Health and Football Operations Laura Kane said:
"The Draft plays an important role in competitive balance across the AFLW, and these changes are about ensuring the system continues to evolve alongside the competition.
"We also want clubs to continue to invest in talent pathways, and we believe these changes strike the right balance between recognising that investment and ensuring the Draft remains an avenue to access high end talent for all our clubs.
"The introduction of live trading will give clubs greater flexibility on Draft night, while we're also pleased to align the parent-child eligibility threshold with the AFL father-son rule, moving from one game to 100 games, while establishing a pathway for children of former AFLW players from 2028."
The 2026 Telstra AFLW Draft will take place on Monday, 14 December at the MCG.
