Perhaps worried that Fremantle may tank the rest of the season in order to earn a high position in the next draft, Magpies chief Gary Pert has suggested that the AFL take a page from the National Basketball Association playbook and use a lottery to determine the selection order. Of course, that may be giving Fremantle too much credit, as their play this season indicates that such a strategy may not be necessary on their part.
Speaking with the Herald Sun, Pert brought forth the idea that if adopted, would see the bottom four clubs having an equal chance to secure the services on the number one draft pick. Pert’s opinion is that a draft lottery would be both more effective and less problematic than a system based on a tiered fixture basis.
Top Saints player Nathan Burke would like to see the status quo maintained in speaking with Fox Sports, saying that he considers professional players unlikely to be willing to chuck wins in order to get draft priority. He says that the natural competiveness of players that have made the sacrifices and put in the effort to rise to the AFL level want to win week-in-week out, regardless of the current standings.
