Only three of the top 15 picks in last year's national draft are yet to extend their contracts beyond 2019 as clubs extend the contracts of first round picks beyond the mandatory two seasons earlier than ever.
Although the AFL has resisted calls from several clubs in recent seasons to extend the mandatory term of the initial contract of first-round picks to three years, the trend of signing players before their career is underway is only accelerating.
Cameron Rayner.
Photo: AAP
Adelaide's Darcy Fogarty last week became the latest top draft pick to sign an extension when he extended his time with the Crows until the end of 2021.
The three players yet to re-sign from the top 15 of last year's draft are Fremantle's Adam Cerra (the No.5 selection), Western Bulldogs defender Aaron Naughton (pick 9) and the Brisbane Lions forward Zac Bailey (15).
Cerra is understood to be content to buck the trend and wait until the end of the season before initiating any discussions to extend, although he is happy at the Dockers so far having played 10 games this season.
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It's expected to be a matter of time before Naughton and Bailey extend their term with their respective clubs with both players showing great form early in their careers.
Last year all bar two of the top three picks in the top 10 of the 2016 national draft, Essendon's Andy McGrath and the Brisbane Lions' Hugh McCluggage, had signed before the following year's draft.
McGrath announced he had extended his contract soon after last year's draft while McCluggage's agreement was in place in late December.
To underline the pace of change in the past two years, at the start of 2017 just half of the top 20 selections in the 2015 national draft had extended their contract beyond the initial two years.
However only the former Brisbane Lion Josh Schache, who had actually extended his contract during 2017, and former Giant Matthew Kennedy changed clubs after two seasons with the remainder eventually extending deals.
Josh Schache.
Photo: AAP
Players who are drafted are locked in to two-year deals with their new club on set wages and conditions with first-round draft picks in 2018 earning a base wage of $95,000 plus AFL match payments.
Six of the top-20 picks in the 2014 national draft are now with different clubs while Carlton's Blaine Boekhorst was delisted.
The introduction of the expansion clubs began the trend with Gold Coast locking in Jack Martin on a five-year deal in 2014 before he had even played a game with the club while several Giants received significant deals in their third and fourth season at the new club.
Top 15 2017 National Draft Contracted Until
1. Cameron Rayner (Brisbane Lions) 2021
2. Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle) 2021
3. Paddy Dow (Carlton) 2022
4. Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne) 2021
5. Adam Cerra (Fremantle) 2019 (yet to extend)
6. Jaidyn Stephenson (Collingwood) 2021
7. Hunter Clark (St Kilda) 2021
8. Nick Coffield (St Kilda) 2021
9. Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs) 2019 (yet to extend)
10. Lochie O'Brien (Carlton) 2021
11. Aiden Bonar (GWS Giants) 2021
12. Darcy Fogarty (Adelaide) 2021
13. Jarrod Brander (West Coast) 2021
14. Matthew Ling (Sydney Swans) 2020
15. Zac Bailey (Brisbane Lions) 2019 (yet to extend)
Peter Ryan joined The Age in 2017 having covered AFL as a senior reporter with AFL Media.
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