THE AFL has opted against closing the draft 'loophole' that emerged during last year's exchange period, but has removed some of the incentive for clubs to trade backwards in the draft.

The League last month requested feedback from clubs about whether it should change the 20 per cent discount rule given to clubs who match a bid for academy and father-son prospects at the NAB AFL Draft.

In last year's trade period a number of clubs traded backwards in the order to boost their available points under the complex system, banking more points to use on high-end talents.

How the draft live bidding system works

An option the AFL considered was that clubs would need to keep a selection in the round a bid was placed, otherwise they would lose access to the 20 per cent discount.

However, the AFL has chosen to stick with the same system as last year despite some clubs raising their concerns with the way academy clubs used the points system to trade out of the first round last season.



Hawthorn has been a vocal opponent of the bidding system, with list manager Graham Wright telling AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft podcast earlier this year the Hawks thought the loophole unfairly impacted other clubs.



"We didn't like it. Any system that promotes or encourages academy clubs to move out of the first round and nearly out of the second round and still have access to a top-five player is a flawed system, in my view," Wright said.

"It's the system we've got and we have to work in it, and people were able to manipulate that system and get some good results for themselves. But there was a lot of clubs that were disadvantaged by that actually happening."

Indicative draft order: Giants, Suns set for windfall

The AFL has made one change to its bidding system that will come into immediate effect this year, with clubs no longer able to access 'hidden picks' during the draft.

It means clubs will only be able to enter the draft with the number of selections that matches the available primary list positions at that time.

Last year some clubs entered the draft with more picks than they had available spots on their list. The extra picks were purely held so they could pay for academy prospects that attracted early bids.

The rule tweak means if a club needs to use multiple selections in matching a bid, and therefore require extra selections to be filled on its list, the new draft picks would be given to the club at the back of the draft so not to impact other clubs' picks.

Clubs not being able to use 'hidden' picks means they cannot store points in late draft picks that they never intended to use.

It reduces the incentive to trade backwards in the draft and for them to accumulate a large group of picks and convert them into points.

In removing hidden picks, the AFL has stopped clubs from taking picks to the draft that they never intended on using on a player.

Last year, the Brisbane Lions went into the draft with five spots open on their list and their first hidden draft selection was No.42. But that pick would have been forfeited under the new rules and the advantage they gained from trading backwards would have been lost.

Or, it could have delisted an extra player before the draft and then been free to use pick No.42.