Melbourne, West Coast and St Kilda are among the clubs who may feel they've received the short end of the stick amid suggestions the AFL may revert to unrestricted bidding on club-tied Next Generation Academy talent.
The potential proposed changes would see clubs able to make NGA bids as early as Pick 1 - a scenario that occurred in 2020 with the Western Bulldogs having priority access to Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.
The Dogs' successful selection played a role in the AFL's decision to push back NGA bidding to outside of the top 20 selections for the following year before the 2022 National Draft would have no clubs able to match bids for NGA prospects until Pick 41.
That restriction remained in place for last year's intake as the league looked to limit the direct access clubs had to potential first-round talent through their Next Generation Academies.
The impact of these changes since 2021 saw several sides miss out on highly-favoured draftees as close to 12 months on from the Bulldogs' recruitment of Ugle-Hagan - viewed as the lead prospect in his draft and taken out of reach of struggling sides like Adelaide and North Melbourne.
Fresh reports that the AFL will revert to an open bidding system where NGA prospects can fetch bids at any place in the draft order will please several sides, perhaps none moreso than Essendon - who would be at risk of losing Calder Cannons small forward Isaac Kako to another club should the current system remain in place.
But the proposed change would mean the Bombers can match any rival's bid for the Vic Country livewire and likely first-round pick, but will likely be required to pay more in draft points compared to recent bidding systems.
West Coast is another club that will likely be satisfied by the potential changes, with AFL Academy talent Malakai Champion a member of the Eagles' NGA program.
The Perth club was one of the more vocal sides last year who questioned the strategy of NGA pathways given the subsequent draft night bidding restrictions, having missed out on Subiaco talent Lance Collard - who was taken in the opening round of the 2023 count by St Kilda.
While the Eagles may have mixed feelings come the proposed NGA bidding changes, other clubs will be feeling as though they've been hard done by given the three-year period of restricted access to teens they've spent time and resources developing.
None may be feeling more unfairly treated than Melbourne, who had direct access to 2021 draft bolter Mac Andrew prior to his departure to the Gold Coast.
Andrew, who was taken with Pick 5 by the Suns, would've landed in the Demons' lap had he been eligible for the draft a year prior. But in the AFL's first year of NGA bidding changes, Melbourne would've required the versatile key position talent to slide past the first 20 selections.
Now three years on, Andrew is seen as one of the best young tall defenders in the competition while the league may very well lift restrictions on NGA bids.
Had the Demons had unrestricted access to Andrew, they may not have had the selection to acquire key forward Jacob van Rooyen near the end of the first-round however.
Similar frustrations can be felt at Moorabbin, who missed out on NGA talent Cameron Mackenzie in 2022. Pick 7 selection was swooped on by Hawthorn after a stellar season with the Sandringham Dragons.
The Saints were unable to match the Hawks' play for Mackenzie, but would've been able to in 2020, or potentially this year, but it just so happened he fell in the three-year window of change.
But the loss of Mackenzie meant the Saints still had their top 10 draft selection, which was used to acquire young gun Mattaes Phillipou three spots after the Hawks' selection.
That same draft - which limited NGA bidding until after Pick 40 - saw Hawthorn miss out on their own priority prospect in Cooper Vickery, who Sydney selected with Pick 27.
Adelaide decided against nominating for NGA talent Isaac Keeler leading up to the 2022 draft, likely due to being under the assumption that the North Adelaide ruck-forward wouldn't be available after the first 40 selections.
But he slid on draft night, with St Kilda pouncing on what many viewed as a Paddy Ryder prototype with Pick 44. It could be argued the restrictions on NGA bidding left Adelaide to pass on Keeler ahead of their pre-draft nominations.
Last year's draft saw the aforementioned Collard land at St Kilda also, while North Melbourne managed to secure Tasmanian Ryley Sanders' NGA access despite knowing the Larke Medal winner would be off the board in the opening 10 selections.
Three more NGA prospects fetched rival bids before Pick 40, with Geelong taking Fremantle-tied ruckman Mitch Edwards at Pick 32, Collingwood snatching Hawthorn NGA prospect Tew Jiath five spots later, and Essendon pouncing on Western Bulldogs member Luamon Lual two picks before the Dogs could've matched a bid.
