Tigers and Cats boosted by father-son changes
5:16:59 PM Tue 29 July, 2003
Scott Spits and Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
Clubs will be able to draft more than one player each year under changes to the father-son rule to come into effect at this year’s National AFL Draft.
Previously, clubs were able to use their third round selection to nominate a player whose father played more than 100 VFL/AFL games for the club.
But now, clubs will be able to use their second round pick to select a second eligible player and their first round selection to nominate a third eligible player.
Richmond and Geelong stand to benefit from the new rule in the short-term. The Tigers could select Tom Roach (son of Michael) and Andrew Raines (son of Geoff), while the Cats may now nominate Nathan Ablett (son of Gary) and Mark Blake (son of Rod).
AFL football operations manager Andrew Demetriou said the AFL Commission had approved the recommendations of the AFL Draft Review committee at its meeting in Melbourne last week and the 16 AFL clubs had been notified on Tuesday.
"The AFL believes that the father - son rule must be maintained in our game as our fans strongly identify with the sons of former champions coming to the club," Demetriou said.
"From the time that Ron Barassi junior came to Melbourne in the early 1950s, supporters of all clubs have had a special interest in the son of a former great and that continues today with the exploits of such players as Gary Ablett junior, Dustin Fletcher, Matthew Richardson and Lance Whitnall at their respective clubs.
"It was the AFL Commission's view that clubs should not be penalised if there was more than one player available to them under father-son rules in a particular year."
Demetriou said the AFL Commission had also approved an alteration to the rules so that the son of any player who had played both 150 games in the WAFL and 100 games in the then-VFL, or 200 games in the SANFL and 100 games in the then-VFL, had the choice of nominating his state-based club or Victorian-based club as his preferred destination.
Previously, sons of former players who had played more than 100 games for two Victorian clubs, such as David Cloke's son, could choose either Victorian-based club as their destination but sons of former WAFL or SANFL players under the criteria above could only play for the Victorian-based club.
5:16:59 PM Tue 29 July, 2003
Scott Spits and Matt Burgan
afl.com.au
Clubs will be able to draft more than one player each year under changes to the father-son rule to come into effect at this year’s National AFL Draft.
Previously, clubs were able to use their third round selection to nominate a player whose father played more than 100 VFL/AFL games for the club.
But now, clubs will be able to use their second round pick to select a second eligible player and their first round selection to nominate a third eligible player.
Richmond and Geelong stand to benefit from the new rule in the short-term. The Tigers could select Tom Roach (son of Michael) and Andrew Raines (son of Geoff), while the Cats may now nominate Nathan Ablett (son of Gary) and Mark Blake (son of Rod).
AFL football operations manager Andrew Demetriou said the AFL Commission had approved the recommendations of the AFL Draft Review committee at its meeting in Melbourne last week and the 16 AFL clubs had been notified on Tuesday.
"The AFL believes that the father - son rule must be maintained in our game as our fans strongly identify with the sons of former champions coming to the club," Demetriou said.
"From the time that Ron Barassi junior came to Melbourne in the early 1950s, supporters of all clubs have had a special interest in the son of a former great and that continues today with the exploits of such players as Gary Ablett junior, Dustin Fletcher, Matthew Richardson and Lance Whitnall at their respective clubs.
"It was the AFL Commission's view that clubs should not be penalised if there was more than one player available to them under father-son rules in a particular year."
Demetriou said the AFL Commission had also approved an alteration to the rules so that the son of any player who had played both 150 games in the WAFL and 100 games in the then-VFL, or 200 games in the SANFL and 100 games in the then-VFL, had the choice of nominating his state-based club or Victorian-based club as his preferred destination.
Previously, sons of former players who had played more than 100 games for two Victorian clubs, such as David Cloke's son, could choose either Victorian-based club as their destination but sons of former WAFL or SANFL players under the criteria above could only play for the Victorian-based club.
