The AFL unveiled sweeping changes to draft rules aimed at ensuring clubs pay a fairer price for high-end talent.

The method for matching bids shifts; clubs may need to use specific picks rather than stockpiling lower picks, for example Carlton could be required to use picks 3 and 27 or other earlier selections.

Approval of compensation changes required sign-off from the AFL Players’ Association as part of the collective bargaining process.

Several clubs, led by Carlton, Port Adelaide, and Essendon, pushed to delay the reforms until after Tasmania’s entry in 2028, but the push was unsuccessful.

Port Adelaide could still land a top-10 pick if star midfielder Zak Butters departs and they miss the finals, complicating bid-matching decisions under the new framework.

Under the new system, a club can enter a deficit of 412 draft value index points if a bid cannot be matched with two selections, making it unlikely to land four first-round players by matching bids.

Free agency compensation remains unchanged, with top-10 compensation intact despite concerns from the AFL Players’ Association about movement and balance.

The report notes that more details and coverage are forthcoming, with a call to subscribe for ongoing AFL updates.

Discussions about the changes trace back to a CEOs meeting last year, with a veteran figure noting there’s “never a good time” to alter rules.

Under the new rules, teams may only use two picks to match a bid on a priority access player up to pick 36, reshaping bids for players like Cody Walker and Dougie Cochrane.