GEELONG footy boss Andrew Mackie questioned the draft compensation given to St Kilda and Greater Western Sydney for their departing free agents, labelling the first-round picks for Josh Battle and Harry Perryman "generous".

Geelong's first round pick slipped from 15 to 17 on Friday following compensation to the Saints and Giants for the loss of their players to Hawthorn and Collingwood, respectively.

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The AFL's decision raised eyebrows across the competition, including Mackie.

"It felt generous with a couple of those guys," Mackie told Continental Tyres AFL Trade Radio on Monday.

"By definition, it means they're in the top five per cent of paid players in the comp. So that's what gets you tier one of band one, which lands them there."

Mackie suggested first-round draft picks should remain untouched by the free agency compensation, adding St Kilda's president Andrew Bassatt - who last week slammed the AFL's draft and free agency system - would be thrilled with the compensation the club received for Battle.

"I think there's ways where you can quarantine the first round in compensation. So it's a bit to work through there," he said.

"Andrew Bassatt would be feeling really good about things. Strategically well timed."

Giants national recruiting manager Adrian Caruso, who received pick No.16 for Perryman and pick No.21 for Isaac Cumming, said his club was "rapt" with the compensation they received.

"We didn't want to lose them because they're important players. But once they make the decision to go, and you know that the compensation formula is going to give it what it gives you, we were absolutely rapt to get what we did," Caruso said.

Caruso did, however, say his club also supports leaving top end draft picks untouched by compensation.

"We actually support potentially blocking out the first eight or nine picks, so that there's no compensation in there. But we still believe that compensation should exist," he said.

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