The unfortunate long-term injuries to Jagga Smith and Andy Moniz-Wakefield have thrust the pre-season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) into the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
The AFL's hands were forced into re-opening the period three days after the deadline as a host of clubs had yet to participate in match simulation.
The Blues, Demons, St Kilda, North Melbourne, Sydney, Giants, Adelaide and Port Adelaide were all placed at a technical disadvantage given their practice matches were during or after the close of the SSP.
Smith and Moniz-Wakefield's knee injuries occurred the day after the deadline, and as a result, the pair were replaced by former Eagle Jai Culley (Melbourne) and Will White (Carlton) after the window was extended.
White will get to live out his dream of becoming an AFL player while Culley's pre-season form warranted a second crack at the top flight.
A win-win right?
But aside from the individual, who gets selected, and the AFL club who gets topped up with another exciting prospect, there is a third side to this story that is seemingly being forgotten.
The ripple effect of a late pre-season signing on state and local league clubs is profound, with sides left scrambling to fill the void ultimately left by one of their standout players.
SANFL powerhouse Norwood recently went through this process after Magarey medallist Harry Boyd was swooped on by St Kilda, while the last-minute signing of Lachlan McAndrew by Adelaide has left a gaping hole in the club's tall stocks.
MORE: SSP summary - Who your club recruited, sides with Mid-Season Draft list spots
"For us, it's put us on the back foot," Norwood football boss Richard Kelly told Zero Hanger last month.
"It'd be good if the AFL just said 'Look your list spots are your list spots. Call it November 30 or whatever it is, and you've got the Mid-Season Draft and that's it. It does put state leagues like us potentially at a massive disadvantage.
"We feel there's plenty of opportunities for AFL clubs to pick them up. How many opportunities do you want to do that? I'm pretty sure they don't listen to what we have to say."
As it stands, the SSP runs up until two weeks before the beginning of the season, stretching from late November until mid-February across two periods given the mandatory time off over Christmas.
But the AFL, who went back on their word to allow Culley and White to join their new clubs, should have a firmer stance on when the window should run.
To assist in alleviating serious injuries and allow for better planning, the league could help by implementing certain measures.
Increase AFL club list sizes
Firstly, increasing club list sizes to pre-COVID-19 levels would empower list managers to make bolder decisions surrounding signing prospects.
Despite the fear of diluting the talent pool, especially given the introduction of Tasmania in 2028, sides won't sit in angst about making the wrong decision if they have more players to work with.
In the past six months, 33 players were added through the 2024 Mid-Season Draft and most recent SSP window, ripping away star players from state and local league clubs during and on the eve of a season.
Increasing the overall list size could help loosen the constraints clubs face but also give clarity on the leagues below them.
Alter farcical rookie list rules
The rules around the rookie list have long been criticised as it has quickly become a mechanism for clubs to re-draft established stars to their list, allowing draftees, year by year, to take their place.
Despite it being a smart piece of business, the rookie list was designed for clubs to take chances on prospects that had initially been overlooked.
Altering the rookie list concessions to sharpen its focus on offering missed options a chance at the top flight, coupled with an increased list size, won't put such a squeeze on AFL clubs.
Increase pre-season training block
And, lastly, is the amount of time players spend at AFL clubs.
Whether there's been an increase in injuries this pre-season or simply more reports, there is no doubt that clubs, based on the amount of summer train-on prospects, are looking to safeguard themselves from potential injury concerns.
St Kilda coach Ross Lyon cooly admitted that players at Moorabbin spend 16 mandatory hours at the club per week during the season, which, if translated to pre-season, isn't enough.
SEN's Sam Edmund revealed earlier this month that high-performance bosses aren't pleased with the lack of time spent by players at the club, potentially leading to the spate of injuries.
Players are given the license - and luxury - of personal programs to complete during their time away from the club.
Essendon coach Brad Scott acknowledged the challenge of a limited pre-season.
"We have to graduate our draftees training programs and do a slow build," Scott said on SEN of the difficulty in managing the pre-season regime.
"For the other players, we're into full ground drills from day one now because we have a limited prep phase.
"Pre-seasons used to be long and arduous but now with the amount of time players have off, it's really incumbent on players to do a lot of preparation work in their own time.
"And that's a challenge when they don't have the access to our high-performance staff to make sure they are ticking all the boxes."
The AFL is currently looking at ways to minimise injury but simply more time around high-performance professionals with strict regimes are more than likely to assist with the injury crisis.
