THE BARGAIN price Brisbane paid to land gun draft pair Levi Ashcroft and Sam Marshall late last year will look like even better value when the AFL's changes to the father-son and Academy bidding come into force this year.

Reigning premier Brisbane landed father-son prospect Ashcroft (pick No.5) and Academy gun Marshall (No.25) in the opening round of the 2024 Telstra AFL Draft.

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That came two years after Will Ashcroft, now a two-time Norm Smith medallist, also joined as a father-son recruit as the No.2 pick in 2022.

Changes to the Draft Value Index (DVI) for this year, which were announced in August last year and will come into effect for the first time at November's draft, are set to make the task of matching bids on father-son and Academy prospects more difficult.

The 2025 changes are a forerunner to the expected tweaks that are set to be introduced next year, which are set to make matching bids even harder still.

After the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period and pick swaps window last year, the Lions had accrued picks 27, 34, 42, 43, 49 and 58 as they prepared to match the bids on Levi Ashcroft and Marshall.

Further pick swaps on the opening night of the draft saw them settle with 10 selections – picks 40, 42, 43, 46, 48, 49, 53, 54, 56 and 73.

The picks gave the Lions plenty of points to match bids on Ashcroft and Marshall, and when the former was allowed to reach pick five in the draft, the Lions were never in danger of missing out or even going into a points deficit.

After Ashcroft was overlooked by Richmond, North Melbourne, Carlton and Adelaide, Brisbane matched Melbourne's bid at pick No.5 using picks 40, 42, 43 and 46.

The Lions needed to match the bid at No.5 with 1502.4 points (the value of pick No.5 is 1878 points, minus the 20 per cent discount that was granted in the first round).

With their four picks in the 40s now gone, Brisbane's remaining selections came in and increased in points value, meaning they needed just picks 43 and 44 (originally picks 48 and 49) to match Sydney's bid on Marshall, which came at pick 25.

It came after the Lions used only picks 34, 35, 38, 40, and 41 to grab the older Ashcroft brother in 2022.

But changes to the Draft Value Index are set to make moves like these more difficult, starting from this year.

As reported by AFL.com.au last year, around 10,000 points were shaved off the DVI in the new system, including taking away points for any pick after No.54. Under the system in use last year, points were attached to picks through to No.73.

So while Brisbane accrued a total of 1533 points by using picks 40 (429 points), 42 (395), 43 (378) and 46 (331) to match a bid on Ashcroft last year, those four picks in 2025 would be worth just 758 points.

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For Marshall, the Lions accrued 740 points – 135 more than they needed to match a bid – by using picks 43 (378) and 44 (362). This year, those two picks would be worth just 351 points.

The rule change means clubs won't be able to simply stockpile later selections to match bids on father-son and Academy prospects, like the Lions were able to do last year.

As part of the changes, the 20 per cent discount will also be reduced to 10 per cent.

If there was a repeat this year, the Lions would need 1616 points to match a bid on Ashcroft at pick No.5 (1795 points minus a 10 per cent discount). To use four picks to match that bid, it would have required the Lions to give up picks 29, 30, 34 and 35, which are much more valuable picks than the 40, 42, 43 and 46 they gave up in 2024.

For Marshall, the Lions would this year have needed 531 points to match the bid at pick 25 (590 points minus the 10 per cent discount). Two picks of that value this year would be picks 38 and 39, compared to picks 43 and 44 last year.

Gold Coast Academy pair Zeke Uwland and Dylan Patterson, Brisbane's Daniel Annable and Carlton father-son prospect Harry Dean were all ranked in the top 10 of Cal Twomey's Phantom Form Guide in September, meaning bids are again set to impact the top of the draft this year.

The Suns currently hold three first-round picks, the Lions have five picks inside 50 and the Blues are set to use their compensation pick for departing free agent Tom De Koning to set themselves up to land Dean, or father-son prospect Cody Walker next year.

As reported by AFL.com.au, the League is set to introduce even tighter restrictions again for 2026, but has opted against preventing clubs matching bids at the top of the draft.

Details of the changes for 2026 and beyond and set to be announced soon.

How Brisbane matched bid for Levi Ashcroft in 2024

Bid: Pick No.5, value 1878 points, 1502 points after 20 per cent discount
Used: Picks 40, 42, 43 and 46

How a club could match a similar bid in 2025

Bid: Pick No.5, value 1795 points, 1616 points after 10 per cent discount
Would need: Picks 29, 30, 34 and 35

How Brisbane matched bids for Levi Ashcroft and Marshall in 2024

Bids: Picks No.5 and 25, value 2634 points, 2107 points after 20 per cent discount
Used: Picks 40, 42, 43, 43, 44 and 46

How a club could match similar bids in 2025

Bids: Picks No.5 and 25, value 2385 points, 2147 points after 10 per cent discount
Would need: Picks 29, 30, 34, 35, 38 and 39

How Brisbane matched bid for Will Ashcroft in 2022

Bid: Pick No.2, value 2517 points, 2014 points after 20 per cent discount
Used: Picks 34, 35, 38, 40, and 41

How a club could match a similar bid in 2025

Bid: Pick No.2, value 2481 points, 2233 points after 10 per cent discount
Would need: Picks 30, 31, 32, 33, 34 and 41

2025 Draft Value Index

2024 Draft Value Index