New Carlton AFLW coach Daniel Harford has questions for the AFL regarding how North Melbourne and Geelong have gone about signing new players and whether the same system will be in place next year.
The AFL will introduce a further four teams to the women’s competition in 2020 with Richmond, St Kilda, West Coast and Gold Coast joining.
The Roos and Cats had the ability to sign four players from each of the foundation clubs, and Harford said he wasn’t too fussed with North Melbourne’s aggressive approach.
“I wouldn’t go so far as saying (North is) breaching the spirit, in footy you push the boundaries until you get pulled up whether you’re a player, coach or administrator,” Harford told SEN Afternoons.
“I have no issues with North Melbourne doing whatever they can to assemble the best list they can.”
Harford does have concerns about whether this system could work again next year with four teams entering AFLW.
“My thing is I just think the system is perhaps not the right way of going about it, particularly when you’ve got four more teams coming in next year, does this happen again?” he said.
“These are the things the AFL needs to alert the clubs to because if this happens again, then it might change your whole strategy about what you do in this period with transactions in the trade period and the draft at the end of the year and so on.
“Two more teams in Victoria and two more interstate next year, do they get the same access to four players from your footy club and all of a sudden in two years some clubs might have lost eight of their best players.
“I’m not sure that’s a tremendous way to build a support base because all of a sudden you have girls who have their favourite players and all of a sudden they’re not playing for Carlton, they’re playing for North Melbourne or Richmond.
“I haven’t got the right model in my head, but I’m not sure that’s the right one.”
Carlton confirmed today the re-signing of captain Brianna Davey and club leading goal kicker Darcy Vescio, despite reports the former would be heading to Collingwood.
The Blues finished on the bottom of the ladder in 2018, but will enter the draft at pick three as Geelong have been granted picks one and two.
North Melbourne however has only been granted pick 12.