The AFL is slowly becoming a twelve-month news cycle.Despite being in the middle of one of the greatest AFL seasons in memory, player movement, and free-agency talk is continuously on the lips AFL fans. Furthermore, with the player salary cap increasing from $10.37m to $12.45m, clubs will have more spending power than ever before. This off-season is set to be as unpredictable and hectic as the regular season.

However, in regards to free agency, the AFL is still an infant; It is still learning to walk. Mistakes will be easy to make and clubs will have to look at how other leagues around the world tackle free agency and try to incorporate these approaches to the unique situation in the AFL. Coincidently, NBA free agency opens July 1st in America. All thirty teams will be involved in bidding for a range of restricted and unrestricted free agents. Teams will be looking for everything from their next superstar, to players destined for the end of the bench. Furthermore, the NBA is coming off a recent spike in the salary cap, similar to the AFL’s this season. The NBA and AFL are certainly two unique beasts, however, AFL clubs can still learn a lot from the NBA in how free agency and a spiking salary cap can change a club’s fortunes.

Overspending in the short term hinders the long term

Last season’s NBA salary cap spike was massive. Almost every franchise had cap space to sign a free agent to a maximum contract (NBA players have maximum contracts, which are dependent on factors such as various accolades, and time spent with a club). Whilst a few teams spent their money wisely, a lot did not. The ‘horror’ contracts of the last offseason are already hindering clubs’ futures. Last week the Los Angeles Lakers had to attach recent number two draft pick, D’Angelo Russell, in order for the Brooklyn Nets to take on Timofey Mozgov’s $16m-a-year deal via trade. Meanwhile, teams like the Portland Trailblazers, Memphis Grizzlies, and the New York Knicks don’t have space to add to their roster this offseason due to overspending in last season’s free agency.

AFL spending will be at an all-time high this year. The new $12.45m cap will give clubs more money than they are used to. However, a burning pocket in free agency usually ends in a burning hole in your list later down the track. Spending big to recruit may seem like a good idea for short-term success, especially when you have young players on your list. Although that short-term overspending hinders your ability to add players in the future. There will most likely be contracts signed this offseason that look ridiculous shortly after. Even without the cap spike, we have already seen some sides hindered by overspending on recruits. From Carlton’s infamous Dale Thomas contract to Sydney Swans’ big Kurt Tippet’s deal attracting media scrutiny. One can only imagine how many of these bad deals will be signed in the future as clubs adapt to free-agency; when is all said and done, the money isn’t being misspent on ‘superstars and A-graders’. The money is being misspent on B-graders who earn the paycheque of an A-grader. Nobody is seeing Lance Franklin or Patrick Dangerfield’s contracts as a hinderance.

Allocation of funds is more important than ever

An NBA roster has fifteen active spots (plus two ‘rotating’ roster spots, similar to the AFL rookie list), and only five players on the court at any given time. A basketballer approximately 6% of an NBA roster and 20% of their starting lineup. In contrast, one AFL player is around 4% of a team and about 2% of an active roster. When an NBA team chases a superstar, they are ultimately chasing 20% of their starting lineup. It would be similar to an AFL side spending big on four players at the same time.

If you were to take a mediocre NBA team and one superstar, they would more than likely make the playoffs. We have seen mediocre sides like the Indiana Pacers make playoffs on the back of Paul George for years. Similarly, if you added four top line free agents to a side outside of the finals, they would take a similar step; A Brisbane Lions side with Dustin Martin, Nat Fyfe, Jasper Pittard, and Sam Reid would definitely be in line for a finals appearance. However, we all know that teams recruiting that many key players on a gamble at short term success just doesn’t happen. So why spend the big money on only one free agent? We have seen that the addition of one great player does not change a team. You cannot expect to improve 4% of your squad and be successful. Just ask the Gold Coast Suns and Gary Ablett.

Paying recruits big money for a short-term fix not only hinders future spending, it also sets a precedent for what young players can expect to be paid. There is the talk of the Swans’ troubles in re-signing Zak Jones and Sam Reid, with the aforementioned Tippet mega-contract being partial to blame. You cannot tell me that there is no negative effect of a young and improving player like Jones seeing somebody contributing half as much on-field whilst he earns well over twice as much. That has to affect what a player is looking to sign for.

Drafting is still key

Despite the hype around free agency and trading, drafting is still the most efficient and beneficial way to bring quality players to the club. Whilst the Golden State Warrior’s pursuit and eventual recruitment of megastar, Kevin Durant propelled the Warriors into being a step above everybody else, three of the Warriors main start were all drafted by the side. Steph Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson were all drafted by the Warriors and it was that drafting that built the championship winning side. Kevin Durant was merely the cherry on top of the cake that good drafting and player development baked.

If anything drafting is more important in AFL than it is in NBA. Needing twenty-two quality game-day players and strong reserves to be able to contest for premierships, the ability to draft talent makes it easier to add that cherry in free-agency. Furthermore, drafted players are cheap labor compared to what teams need to pay to secure free agents. When all is said and done, value contracts are needed to win premierships and drafting is the best way to find those. Jacob Weitering made around $170,000 in his debut season as the number one draft pick. A player of his quality on the open market is worth significantly more than that.

With the AFL still being a newbie in the world of free-agency, the clubs will have an ideal situation to learn from with the upcoming NBA off-season.