So with this do teams still call the players name out and gold goast then swoop in and go oooooooh nah nah actually we want him!!! And you pick again?
Or do they have to sign them upfront before the draft and if it gets to the draft they are fair game?
Surely its the latter
I believe it is the latter, as the region has been exempted from the normal academy bidding process:
14.4 Listing of Club Academy Player
(a) Players Eligible
Subject to Rule 14.4(d), a Club may include a Club Academy Player on its Primary List or Rookie List if he has been domiciled in the Club’s Academy Region for a period of 5 continuous years immediately prior to attaining draft eligibility age, unless otherwise approved by the AFL.
However, it is unlikely much, if any, value will remain as they can pre-list players to an expanded rookie list as part of it:
It will also get Darwin as part of its expanded Academy access zone, while it will be able to pre-list players out of that region without the AFL's normal bidding processes.
The final part of its assistance package will be the ability to rookie up to 10 players.