Draft Tampering?

[DJ75]

Back in the 90's a couple of players were fined by the AFL for draft tampering. The players I believe were Andrew McKay, Robert Pyman and Brent Chalmers.
Effectively, what they did was write to some clubs and ask them not to draft them (being clubs they didn't want to play at).

The questions then is this, if a young player was to write to the West Coast Eagles and ask not to be drafted by them (or if their manager or parents was to do it) due to their concerns over the drug culture, would the AFL fine them??

This could be a BIG problem for the AFL! What if a player is drafted by the Eagles but refuses to go for the same reasons? Surely the AFL would have to look at it with a bit of compasion for the player and parents!

What do we think? Is this a ticking time bomb??

 

[MJ101]

Back in the 90's a couple of players were fined by the AFL for draft tampering. The players I believe were Andrew McKay, Robert Pyman and Brent Chalmers.
Effectively, what they did was write to some clubs and ask them not to draft them (being clubs they didn't want to play at).

The questions then is this, if a young player was to write to the West Coast Eagles and ask not to be drafted by them (or if their manager or parents was to do it) due to their concerns over the drug culture, would the AFL fine them??

This could be a BIG problem for the AFL! What if a player is drafted by the Eagles but refuses to go for the same reasons? Surely the AFL would have to look at it with a bit of compasion for the player and parents!

What do we think? Is this a ticking time bomb??

hmmm
Not likley.
When you sign the forms to enter the draft it is essentially a legal document saying that you will agree to sign a contract to any cluub that drafts you. Its one of the conditions of entry and the document must be signed by the parents as well. Everyone entering the draft recognises the 'risk' associated with it. If i was a potential draftee i would not care if i was drafted to the eagles.

Fair enough, alot is going on over there at the moment but you would hope that most kids at the age of 18 would be able to make a responsible and proactibe decision regarding there behaviour. I know this may not be the case 100% of the time but the issue of responsibility for you own actions ie; who you associate with and the activities you involve essentially draws your own life picture and determines the roads you take. One may question the true passion, desire and how much and AFL career means to anyone who chooses to dip there toe in the water, so to speak, when it comes to drugs, excessive alcohol consumption and other irresponsible behaviour.

 

[TedDougChris]

hmmm
Not likley.
When you sign the forms to enter the draft it is essentially a legal document saying that you will agree to sign a contract to any cluub that drafts you. Its one of the conditions of entry and the document must be signed by the parents as well. Everyone entering the draft recognises the 'risk' associated with it.

This is the most likely part of the draft process to be challenged in the near future. To play in the competition, you MUST sign this agreement, even if it forces you to go somewhere you don't want to....

It's a tough one for young kids. They've spent 10 years trying to get a shot, then they go to a place like West Coast.... Would be a tough call....

 

[Scotland]

It's a tough one for young kids. They've spent 10 years trying to get a shot, then they go to a place like West Coast.... Would be a tough call....

Yeah, just ask Adam Selwood, Michael Braun, David Wirrpanda, Ashley Hansen and Will Schofield. The club has ruined them. Ask their parents too. Never a positive word to be said...

 

[Rockford]

This is the most likely part of the draft process to be challenged in the near future. To play in the competition, you MUST sign this agreement, even if it forces you to go somewhere you don't want to....

It's a tough one for young kids. They've spent 10 years trying to get a shot, then they go to a place like West Coast.... Would be a tough call....

A place like West Coast? Get a grip. There were what, 3 players on a list there we're aware had any involvement in drugs? What would his argument be? He is weak willed and afraid that he would be subject to peer pressure and not have the moral fortitude to say no to drugs?

He'd just better hope Richmond don't take him with pick 2, then he could say he doesn't want to go there or he'd be forced to take drugs to cope with never playing finals

 

[Aristotel]

Draft Tambling!

Why?..... Who?

Have Richmond finally delisted him?

 

[stugots]

now will probably find players wont want to go west for the complete opposite - the club will place players on restrictions so water tight, that going out for a beer will break a dozen rules!

 

[TedDougChris]

Yeah, just ask Adam Selwood, Michael Braun, David Wirrpanda, Ashley Hansen and Will Schofield. The club has ruined them. Ask their parents too. Never a positive word to be said...

A place like West Coast? Get a grip. There were what, 3 players on a list there we're aware had any involvement in drugs? What would his argument be? He is weak willed and afraid that he would be subject to peer pressure and not have the moral fortitude to say no to drugs?

He'd just better hope Richmond don't take him with pick 2, then he could say he doesn't want to go there or he'd be forced to take drugs to cope with never playing finals

This is the same Selwood that suggest he'd like to sleep with people's kids...

A real role model there...

Anyway, in some ways you are right. I'm sure WCE aren't the only club facing this problem, but they are currently facing it in the spotlight. This may change as time goes by, but as a father, I wouldn't want my kids going there..... I wouldn't....

People emulate people in authority. Now Cousins and Chick are gone, it may be a new culture emerges out West. I hope that it does. If this happens then people won't have any problems with their kids going over there....

 

[MarkT]

People who don’t think this is an issue are as deluded as AD when he said I was deluded for believing tanking exists and that it assists let alone that two actually need be connected.

Let’s use WCE as an example for obvious reasons. If a parent said in whatever forum that he has grave concerns about his boy going to WCE and said he and the boy would take action if WCE drafted him, regardless or the actual merit in this case, then the AFL would have a massive issue on its hands. I believe they would tell WCE not to draft the kid. If WCE did draft him and the father and player refused to go the AFL would crap bricks. On one hand they have to uphold the draft rules. On the other hand they don’t want to g to court. An everyday case of a player just not wanting to move interstate would be bad enough but with these sorts of concerns thrown in things could vet interesting.

 

[MJ101]

This is the most likely part of the draft process to be challenged in the near future. To play in the competition, you MUST sign this agreement, even if it forces you to go somewhere you don't want to....

It's a tough one for young kids. They've spent 10 years trying to get a shot, then they go to a place like West Coast.... Would be a tough call....

If you remove that concept, the whole idea of the draft essentially goes out the window and you might as well just sign kids up as they do in the EPL and other soccer leagues around the world. Saying i dont want to play for a club just opens up a huge can of worms. You cant have rules for some and not the others. Drug issue aside, if you let a kid refuse to go to west coast, then it is only fair to allow the same for all others. Say a kid has an issue with all other clubs except collingwood. That means he goes to the club of his choice totally destroying the draft concept. Extreme case but im sure we can all see where im going with this.

Only had to listen to what those lads said on the TV the other night. Every young kid who gets the oppurtunity at AFL level would not turn down any offer they get. When i went through the system, if i got picked up by the power, as much as i despise them and have a truly deep hate for, i would have not skipped the oppurtunity.

Secondly....A place like West Coast??? The West Coast i know has excellent coach and support staff, and good list, some of the best facilities and strong fan bases and is situated in a lovley, growing city in perth. Why would anyone not want to be at westcoast??

Only those who refuse to accept that there is a drug issue in every state of the country at every AFL club. West Coast through the foolishness of cousins et al. are being painted as the bad guys when really there are many other undiscovered cases of drug use in our game. Young fit guys, with lots of money and lots of down time and rock star status. How do they amuse themselves? Act like D**k head rockstars

 

[Underdog]

Only those who refuse to accept that there is a drug issue in every state of the country at every AFL club. West Coast through the foolishness of cousins et al. are being painted as the bad guys when really there are many other undiscovered cases of drug use in our game. Young fit guys, with lots of money and lots of down time and rock star status. How do they amuse themselves? Act like D**k head rockstars

Exactly - and people say we have our heads in the sand...

 

[strategy]

Judd chose Carlton ages ago .
Thats tampering .

 

[Butane]

Judd chose Carlton ages ago .
Thats tampering .

Thats also trading - not drafting

 

[strategy]

Thats also trading - not drafting

He was traded but he tampered on where he was going .

 

[MJ101]

He was traded but he tampered on where he was going .

Players are allowed to do that. He nominated carlton as his preffered option or club of choice during trade week. West Coast are under no legal obligation to trade with carlton. They can attempt to trade to another club, which would be a pointless exercise as Judd must agree to the trade and agree to sign on, or they can trade with carlton and achieve the best available deal.

However, if judd nominated for the PSD, he has no legal foot to stand on if he chose to refuse the club that drafted him. By entering the PSD, as is the case with the national draft, he must accept who takes him. Its in the contract and conditions of nomination. However, the loop hole in the PSD is that players must nominate a 'ball park' salary. Clubs will then be able to make decsions in the PSD in relation to the nominated salary. Say he entered the PSD and richmond were able to meet his salary demands he must go to richmond if they drafted him.

I do not really see this as an issue at all. If a kid puts his name in the draft, they are signing a contract and so are his parents saying that they will abide by the AFL rules regarding drafting. Parents and grandmas can kick up a stink, call radio stations, write to newspaper and get there ugly mugs on a current affair and say they would be worried if there kid goes to West Coast, or any club for that matter, but all they legally can be is worried. The signatures are there, they cant do squat. They can be dissapointed but as far as im concerned its tought t***ies. Suck it up and make the most of the oppurtunity that one of the best sporting organizations in the country. And if provides you. And if you hate life that much ask to be traded in a year or two.

To finish, one thing that has really ticked me off in this whole debacle is that the AFL clubs/West Coast are being blamed for surrounding these kids with drugs, booze fame and money. It seems to me that the uneducated opinion is that the moment that a club drafts a kid, they are solely responsible for the maturation and parenting of the young gentleman. Wrong!!! Football is job. An AFL club is a workplace. My workplace has rules, expectations and some level of education regarding drugs and alcohol use/abuse but i dont sit down with my boss and talk to him about my (for the sake of the analogy) problems regarding substance use/abuse. It would probably jeopardise my position.

A good coach and executive team will lend and ear and support but life education and decisions must come from parents and the home and whatever the kids parents view as right should only be supported by there respective AFL club. Dont blame the clubs and culture of AFL entirley on this one. Fair enough clubs must harbour healthy and responsible practises but they can only do so much. Dont think they with a healthy homelife and parental support draftees are unable to deal with the challenges of illicit substance abuse in proffesional sport.

I imagine that last part will open up a can of worms...
Will be interesting to read during my break tomorrow.

 

[Monkey King]

hmmm
When you sign the forms to enter the draft it is essentially a legal document saying that you will agree to sign a contract to any cluub that drafts you.

This is contentious. If you sign a document, no matter how legal it appears, that states I can force to to participate in an action that contravines law in some way, it is not actually legal. If the contract is deemed to restrict trade for example, a freedom from which is enforced by law in Australia, the contract isn't worth the paper it's printed on.

 

[The Magenius]

People trying to steal the eagles draft picks, piss off.

 

[Monkey King]

Judd chose Carlton ages ago .
Thats tampering .

It's funny. I was just reading an article the other day how the human mind is not wired to, and has no capacity to, distinguish myth from truth. If something is heard often enough, the part of the brain that actively responds to events that we know to be true, is equally as responsive when dealing with that non-factual information.

Just a question.... were you a case study in that research?