Former Fremantle coach Ross Lyon has called on the AFL to implement a strong national second-tier competition to help facilitate a reduction in player lists.
Current AFL team lists hold 44 players, with the salary cap set at $16 million. With league bosses looking to cut costs for an altered 2020 season and beyond, team lists could be cut to 35 with the rest of the positions in the squad filled by players playing in their respective state competitions.
The concept the league is reportedly considering is a United States-style waiver system model, based on reverse ladder order, that would enable players to be snapped up on a weekly basis.
It's similar to the AFLW, where clubs have lists of 30, with each team also keeping up to 10 'train-on' players who can take part in training once a week and then can take the place of injured players.
Fourteen of the 18 AFL clubs used 35 players or more last season, the exceptions being West Coast, Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn, which all used 34. St Kilda and Melbourne used the most with 39.
There have been seasons where clubs have got by with just 31 players while other years have seen that figure balloon to 42 or 43.
Lyon says the waiver system could work by cutting costs yet it would be best served "if someone got the second-tier right."
"Alastair Clarkson has spoken about a national second-tier competition, maybe 23 and under," Lyon said.
"It would be a development league and then the mature players can stay on the senior list. Then you can access the developing players as you need them."
Lyon said basing the altered model around the reliance of state league players at the tail-end of a team's list isn't the answer.
"I'm not sure about a VFL team, an AFL reserve team or a WAFL team. I would like to see a national uniform league where all the talent is developed," Lyon said.
"Development coaches go down there and get paid what they're paid to do and get them ready to play AFL football and give AFL teams the access."
The AFL will propose a model within the coming weeks for the examination of the AFL Players' Association and player agents, who want to see the financial figures before agreeing to a reduced salary cap or team lists.
AFLPA boss Paul Marsh has declared on numerous occasions his organisation must agree before anything is set it stone.
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/afl-ross-lyon-calls-for-national-secon-tier-competition/4c0800ac-cbce-4943-bf71-c814c7a8e92d
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