AFL has trade week to avoid the farcical situation in NRL
Posted: Tue Nov 29, 2011 8:27 am
Farcical. Still dopey throwball fans in the main just sit back and accept this ridiculous situation.
James Maloney deal sparks call for draft
Neil Cordy
The Daily Telegraph
November 29, 201112:00AM
THE AFL may not be perfect but it's 460 days better than the system in place in the NRL.
That, of course, is the time between Warriors star James Maloney signing for the Roosters and when he pulls on the boots for them.
While there is no ill will from his New Zealand Warriors teammates and the club have consented to James Maloney's wishes to move to Australia, it is the fans that suffer.
The AFL has trade week to avoid the farcical situation rugby league finds itself in.
It is set aside at the end of the season and allows clubs to horse trade players.
At the end of the week where the deals have been done, those traded are officially players at their new club.
It is a lot cleaner, players' motives and loyalty aren't questioned and they can get on with the business of continuing their careers at their new clubs immediately.
The AFL operates like a business, the NRL's business model is more like anarchy.
Even the AFL draft makes more sense.
At last Thursday night's draft, the moment No.1 pick Jonathon Patton's name was called he became a Giants player. In a matter of minutes he had a Giants jersey on his back and was smiling for the cameras.
The next day Patton was training at Blacktown and meeting the rest of his teammates. So were most of the 60 odd players around the country drafted to other clubs.
There are also calls for a trade week to be introduced mid-season in the AFL. It will probably happen and when it does it will still be a more clean-cut process for all.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/ ... 6208507148