Based on current ladder positions, Melbourne and Adelaide are the two clubs set to be most disadvantaged by the AFL handing Gold Coast a priority pick.
The Suns have formally applied for a priority selection at the top of this year’s draft, which would hand the Queensland club picks one and two.
The Demons, who are currently placed 17th on the ladder, would then be pushed back to the third pick.
Adelaide would receive the fourth pick, with the selection tied to Carlton’s finishing position after the two clubs exchanged first-rounders in a historic live pick swap at last year’s national draft.
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin believed the addition of a priority pick diluted trade deals done involving future draft selections.
"There's been a lot of talks about priority picks and priority picks have been on the agenda for many years," Goodwin said on Thursday.
"The biggest thing that's changed with priority picks is the ability to trade future picks and I think, personally, when you're trading future picks, you shouldn't have that hanging over your head of a priority pick being in the mix.
“I think it's become a bit archaic in its relevance and I think there are other avenues we can incentivise teams and bring that equalisation to prevalence.
"I don’t think draft picks at the top end are necessarily the fix for everything. And there's other ways we can incentivise clubs to improve, whether that be middle-of-the-range [picks] through the draft or other avenues.
"But if you're trading away future picks, I think the priority pick is probably a bit outdated."
Crows recruiting manager Hamish Ogilvie also stated his desire for the AFL draft order to remain the same in order to protect future trading.
“We traded into something we’d thought we’d have,” Ogilvie told the Road to the Draft podcast.
“To lose that or get pushed back; it’s not just us. There are other clubs mid-first round or late-first round, or even second round, you get pushed back.
“I just reckon it puts future trading for the AFL into a little bit of jeopardy when you start throwing other things in. It’s a bit of a false economy, isn’t it?”
