Injuries are a brutal, yet unavoidable part of AFL football. To kick off this season alone, we have seen numerous stars of the game sidelined for extended periods, including the likes of Zak Butters, Marcus Bontempelli, Errol Gulden, Jake Lever and now Will Day.
They don't discriminate in their timing. They hit during pre-season trial matches. They hit in the opening rounds. They hit in finals. They hit in the middle of a club's most important stretch of the season. And sometimes, they hit in the lead up to the big dance.
But what these injuries shouldn't do is unfairly punish clubs for months on end without an avenue for relief. Right now, if a club loses a star midfielder in Round 10, or a key defender in Round 22, their options are painfully limited. The AFL's list rules, while thoughtfully and thoroughly designed, leave little flexibility for clubs to manage the unexpected. It can derail a club's season in more extreme cases - and for the fan's sake alone โ wouldn't you want to keep all teams competitive?
Sports all over the world already do it in some form, from the NBA to the English Premier League. It's time for a rethink and to bring our great game in line with the rest of the globe.
The AFL must look to global sporting models and introduce temporary replacement contracts, a system that allows clubs to sign short-term injury replacements without permanently altering their list structure.
It can keep teams performing at a high level, keep putting bums on seats at every game, and it's a simple innovation to the rules of our game.
The current system isn't built for flexibility
At present, clubs only have two real responses when injuries strike. They can place the injured player on the inactive list (which was actually tightened in 2023), but this is generally only for season-ending injuries, forcing clubs to make a call they might later regret if a player recovers faster than expected, and certainly doesn't support clubs when injury timeframes sit between six and 12 weeks for example.
The other option is that they cover the absence with depth players, which can leave a club exposed if the injury occurs to an elite player or in a position where depth is thin, potentially already due to injuries.
That's a problem in a league built on the principles of fairness. Why should clubs (and by extension, fans and members) have to endure weeks or months of compromised football because of an injury โ or injuries - that could have been managed with temporary relief?
How temporary replacement contracts could work
A temporary replacement contract (TRC) system would be simple and fair. If a player is ruled out for a minimum period (for arguments sake, let's say at least six to eight weeks, which incidentally was the amount that superstars like Marcus Bontempelli were out for to begin season 2025), then the club can apply to the AFL for a temporary list spot.
They could sign a replacement player on a short-term contract (with restrictions around eligibility, payment tiers, and contract length) to fill the hole until the injured player returns.
What about the state leagues and reserve teams?
Of course, there's a natural flow-on effect to consider. Many of these temporary replacements would come from state leagues or AFL-affiliated reserves teams, competitions that are heavily reliant on their top-end talent.
But this is where smart policy design comes in. Most state league clubs would likely accept being without a star player for a few weeks rather than lose them permanently to an AFL club via the Mid-Season Draft. Temporary contracts would offer players exposure, experience, and financial reward, with the understanding that they return to their original club once their short-term AFL stint ends.
We have seen this type of occurrence numerous times around the world, with a player really stepping up when given a chance. Australian cricketer Marnus Labuschagne springs to mind, who only really had his chance at Test cricket level thanks to a concussion substitute for Steve Smith. Talent can be discovered with this system in place.
Compensation for state league and reserve clubs
To make this work, the AFL should also introduce a compensation model for state league and reserves clubs whose players are temporarily signed.
That could take the form of:
- Direct financial compensation to not only the player, but also the state or reserve league club.
- Priority access to replacement players from aligned AFL clubs, but also have availability across the state leagues as well to ensure all players have equal access.
- Increased exposure and marketing support for clubs that produce AFL-ready talent, which will also drive talent development across the lower-level clubs.
This way, the system becomes a win-win. AFL clubs get cover for their injury crisis, while state league clubs are rewarded for their role in developing talent, and importantly, without losing their stars for good.
The time for innovation is now
The AFL has always prided itself on being innovative, in fact most of the time they lead the way with, most notably, the NRL often following the AFL's advancements in key areas. From the state of origin series to the 1-4 and 5-8 finals scheduling design.
But TRCsย aren't a radical idea, they have worked in major sports all over the world, and they're a common-sense evolution for a league that wants to protect the integrity of its competition, while respecting the role of grassroots and state league football.
With the 2025 season becoming a prime example of how this will support clubs, with major losses including Adam Treloar, Tom Papley, Dion Prestia, Jack Lukosius, Cam Guthrie (honestly, the list just goes on and on this season), it is a clear indication that innovation is needed by the AFL in this area.
Injuries will always be part of the game. But being hamstrung by outdated list rules doesn't have to be. It's time for the AFL to act and bring Australia's premier sport in line with other premier sports across the globe.
