THE DRAFTS and exchange periods are complete. Every club has added multiple superstars, just ask them. And the future, as always at this time of year, is glaringly bright.
The 2025 season is five months away, but preparation, focus and anticipation for it is already in full-swing mode – for the clubs and the AFL. There is lots to ponder, lots to get excited about, lots to worry over, and lots to fix before the next game is played. >> READ MORE FROM DAMIAN BARRETT The AFL's issues are many and varied.
It has an unnecessarily unwieldy judiciary system which requires attention. It needs to "own" decisions made at the Match Review stage, not outsource that role to an outside consultant. Its Appeal Tribunal needs to go.
Only one tribunal should be instituted. If there is a Match Review Office, the first tribunal is, indeed, an appeals mechanism. If clubs want to threaten to take matters to the federal courts over a perceived injustice, then let them.
The courts would almost certainly rule every time that two different sets – the MRO and a tribunal – of legal-based judgment on incidents and actions was sufficient enough. Another fix for the AFL would be to make the 2025 season the last one where a 33-year-old playing a 15th year can carry official status as a "rookie". For too long now and over many regimes, the AFL has allowed the clubs to rort the initial intent of the rookie list.
There is nothing about Jack Gunston in 2025 which fits the definition of rookie, just as ther.