AFL denies Carlton bid for priority draft pick

Carlton have missed out on a priority pick after the AFL commission changed course on handing out assistance for this year’s draft.

7 News Melbourne’s Tom Browne reports the Blues’ application for an extra pick has been denied, with the club set to receive free access to two state-league players.

It is understood Carlton will be unable to trade the players to the other clubs.

The result of Gold Coast’s bid for a priority pick is unclear but it is expected the Suns will receive the same treatment as Carlton.

The decision to offer the opportunity to add prospects outside the draft comes after the idea was criticised by Geelong coach Chris Scott.

The Cats were the biggest beneficiary of state league recruiting this season.

Scott’s club drafted Tim Kelly from the WAFL as a 23-year-old and the West Australian locked down a place in Geelong’s star-studded midfield.

But Scott was cautious on creating a new process to assist the Blues or other sides.

“Our recruiting teams and the recruiting teams all over the competition have done a whole lot of work on the players already,” he told the Sunday Footy Show at the start of September, when the AFL’s state-league solution first gained traction.

“So 11th hour to deny them access to the players they have done a lot of work on would be really unfair.

“If it’s something that will be proposed down the track and there is a little bit of notice, so at least the recruiting staff can put the energy into other areas, I think it has merit.

“The AFL has to investigate the levers to help the teams. But I’m not sure that if you by design fall down the ladder you should be rewarded too much.”

with AAP