GRAND Final teams will have a 20 per cent points loading added to their bids under the new academy and father-son bidding changes, which will be announced on Wednesday.
The League is set to unveil the suite of changes after a long deliberation process that begun in July last year, when club chief executives were told there would be significant alterations coming to the 2026 draft.
Under the new rules, it can be revealed that teams who finish in the top two on the ladder will have to pay a levy of 20 per cent on top of where their bids come. The change will make it nearly impossible for a Grand Finalist to match an early bid, unless they first lose a key player and bring in an early pick.
Teams that finish in the preliminary finals – third and fourth on the final ladder – will have a points loading of 10 per cent, while the other six teams in the top 10 (positions five through to 10) will have no loading or discount applied to their bidding.
Teams that finish 11th to 18th on the ladder will retain the 10 per cent discount that previously applied to all clubs.
The League had considered removing the 10 per cent discount altogether, but recent discussions and consultation between the AFL - led by Commission chairman Craig Drummond, CEO Andrew Dillon, football boss Greg Swann and new player movement manager Justin Reid - and lobbying clubs, including Port Adelaide and Carlton, has seen the discount retained for clubs that do not make the final 10.
It means if Carlton and Port Adelaide do not make the finals this year, they will retain the 10 per cent discount when matching bids on highly touted pair Cody Walker and Dougie Cochrane.
Among other rule changes, previously reported by AFL.com.au, clubs will only be able to match bids using a maximum of two picks, with a points deficit allowed. Clubs will also no longer be able to open more picks than they have list spots available once the draft begins, closing a loophole that clubs have used in recent years.
The changes come as the AFL clamps down on ensuring clubs pay a fair price for the best draftees who are tied to clubs, having last year considered a draft lockout, which would have kept the top 10 of the draft free from bidding completely.
Amongst the other changes set to be confirmed on Wednesday is the addition of compensation picks for clubs who have a top-five pick shunted down the draft order by a matched bid.
As AFL.com.au revealed last month, the move will see clubs who have a prized top-five pick moved back awarded an extra pick, which will follow their selection at the start of the second round of the draft.