EMERGING stars Dayne Beams, Rory Sloane, Steven Motlop, Luke Shuey, Stephen Hill and Daniel Rich could all become free agents at the end of next season if an AFL Players' Association push to reduce the minimum qualification period is successful.
Free agency was introduced ahead of the 2012 season as part of the 2012-16 collective bargaining agreement, with eligibility set at a minimum eight years' service.
AFLPA player relations manager Ian Prendergast told AFL.com.au on Friday the eligibility criteria was one of the free agency issues the AFLPA would broach with the AFL at the CBA mid-term review this year, along with compensation and the length of the player exchange period.
"As part of the review we're about to enter into with the AFL we'll be looking at how free agency has operated in the first couple of years, trying to ensure that it strikes an appropriate balance based on the interests of all stakeholders in the game," Prendergast said.
Several club sources told AFL.com.au this week the AFLPA had indicated it would seek to cut the minimum free agency qualification period to seven years at the mid-term CBA review.
If the AFL agreed to this in time for next season, this would free 2008 draftees such as Beams, Sloane, Motlop, Shuey, Hill and Rich to explore free agency, with all set to come out of contract at the end of 2015.
Zac Clarke, Luke Breust, Liam Shiels, Jackson Trengove, Jordan Roughead, Rhys Stanley, Lachlan Keeffe, Ayce Cordy and Sam Wright are in all the same boat.
However, other high-profile members of the 2008 draft class Jack Watts, Hamish Hartlett, Michael Hurley and Jack Ziebell will not be up for grabs as they are all contracted beyond 2015.
Given next year's free agency pool is already set to include Patrick Dangerfield, Trent Cotchin, Ryan Griffen, Taylor Walker, Matthew Kreuzer, Tom Hawkins, Grant Birchall, Andrew Swallow and Jack Steven, 2015 could boast far and away the most enticing list of free agents yet.
It is also understood the AFLPA will use the CBA review to push for a reduction in the number of players who become restricted free agents each year.
Restricted free agency covers the top 25 per cent highest-paid players at a club, but the AFLPA has raised the possibility with clubs that it be cut to just the top 10 per cent highest-paid.
For a club with a list of 45 players, this would reduce its potential restricted free agents from up to 11 to four or five.
At the moment, a restricted free agent is bound to stay at his club if it matches a rival club's offer. That has yet to happen, but if it did the player would not be free to move as an unrestricted free agent until he had completed at least 10 years' service at his club.
The existing system also provides that a club which loses a free agent be compensated with a proportionate draft pick, regardless of whether the player is restricted or unrestricted.
It is understood the AFLPA will propose that compensation only be awarded to clubs which lose restricted free agents.
