St Kilda coach Ross Lyon believes the first round of the AFL's National Draft should be uncompromised, arguing that father-son, NGA, and northern academy prospects should be reserved for the second round and beyond.
Lyon's contention expands on the idea that the league has welcomed certain aspects of the NBA into its framework, but refuses to equalise the competition in terms of access to elite talent.
In the upcoming crop of young stars, eight club-linked players are placed in the top 25 in Zero Hanger's 2025 prospect Power Rankings (August).
Last year, there were four players picked through the Academy or father-son avenues in the first round, on top of three other selections via free agency compensation, pushing the number to 27.
"We don't want to get into the politics of it, but the elite talent is compromised in the first round," Lyon said.
"It would be great if all first-rounders were on the table. No father-son, no NGA, no northern academies. But then after that first round, you can have everyone you've developed and you want to engage and play footy.
"Let's see how badly you want to do it then."
Lyon also bemoaned the father-son concept, despite its nod to tradition in the AFL. The rule has existed since 1949, and has been altered throughout the years.
"No, none. Not in the first round. None, zero. We model everything on the NBA. Do they have father-son? Do they have free agents that can go to the top four clubs?" Lyon quizzed.
"We model everything. Derbies, Showdowns, draft, except those issues. I don't know why."
The Saints have had three prospects come through the mechanism since 1989, but for little reward compared to the Daicos' and Ashcroft's that roam the AFL field today.
