PORT Adelaide has lobbied for the AFL to consider altering its player movement rules to enable clubs to trade multiple future picks from the same season under certain circumstances.
Last year, Port was one of six teams hoping to complete a 'mega trade' that would have involved 14 picks and three players moving between itself, Greater Western Sydney, Hawthorn, West Coast, Brisbane and North Melbourne.
However, the first iteration of the trade was ultimately blocked by League officials as it would have seen the Power part with both of their first and second-round picks in the 2023 draft to secure Jason Horne-Francis and Junior Rioli.
Under current rules, clubs can only trade out their future first-round draft picks if they retain the rest of their future selections for that draft. They can alternatively trade out second, third and fourth-round picks, but only if they keep their first rounder.
The rule provides a safeguard for teams, but Port Adelaide football boss Chris Davies told AFL.com.au's new trade and draft podcast Gettable that his club has argued for the provision to change.
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The Power had used 15 national draft picks in four years prior to attempting the trade, with seven of those selections first-round picks, and was also bidding to bring in a 19-year-old former No.1 pick in Horne-Francis via the deal.
"I expect that the AFL will look at it as a potential to change," Davies told Gettable.
"I've always been an advocate of making sure the AFL look at these things in a holistic fashion. You don't just look at one part of player movement and make a decision on that and not think that will impact in other areas.
"We certainly left that period suggesting to the AFL that we think they need to look at player movement rules more holistically, which includes other mechanisms that they can use as well.
"Overarchingly, we think that the AFL need to deregulate things more than regulate things."
Gettable is the new trade, draft and free agency podcast on AFL.com.au, the AFL Live Official App, or wherever you get your podcasts. The latest episode is live now.
