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AFL fans and critics are questioning the league's compensation formula after clubs lost prominent unrestricted free agents Toby Greene, Lachie Neale and Joel Amartey and received only second-round draft picks. The system, which considers contract value, length and player age, has been mocked as opaque and is widely believed to have been adjusted to prevent compensation picks from dominating the first round.
‘What a farce this has become. ’The AFL’s compensation to clubs who lose players through free agency continues to bamboozle and frustrate fans. Toby Greene, Lachie Neale and Joel Amartey have all found new homes as unrestricted free agents and their former clubs, the Giants, the Lions and the Swans respectively, have all received second-round compensation for their departing stars.
On Saturday, the AFL also revealed Adelaide would receive second-round compensation for defender Jordon Butts who has the joined the Western Bulldogs, also as an unrestricted free agent. But fans do not understand the formula, which is largely mocked within industry and often referred to as “secret herbs and spices”.
Some of the factors the AFL considers when handing out compensation are length and value of the departing player’s new contract, but age of the player also comes into it. As it stands, the pick the Lions received for Neale is currently 39, which will be pushed back into the 40s when the draft rolls around.
The Giants compo for club legend Greene is currently pick 26, while the Swans received pick 36 for Amartey. GWS, the Lions and the Swans would have all been hoping for end-of-first-round selections for their departing stars, with Neale and Greene’s contracts reportedly around $1 million a season, and Amartey getting a five-year deal at around $800,000 a season.
It has also been thought that age hasn’t mattered quite as much as dollars when factoring compensation, but it has clearly tipped the scale in the Neale and Greene decisions. When Adelaide’s compensation for Butts was revealed on Saturday, fans had clearly had enough.
“Formula is a joke. Just remove the compo and make the clubs trade,” one fan blasted on social media. And another: “Pretty clear the AFL formula has been adjusted to avoid having a Round 1 made up entirely of compensation picks. What a farce this has become.
” Butts has battled various injuries of the past two seasons, but Adelaide fans know his talents and believe the club would have been better off trading him.
“Have to make room for the end-of-first-round compo for the first five picks. F****** joke. Will be in the 40s,” another blasted. Some Adelaide fans were quick to point out that North Melbourne, when they lost key defender Ben McKay to Essendon in 2023, received a first-round selection as compensation.
“Bwahahahaha - a comparable deal to what McKay went to Essendon a few years back - North got Pick 3, Adelaide gets Pick 33! Yeah - sounds about normal! I despise this comp! ” one fan fumed.
McKay ended getting dropped to the VFL this year albeit at the time he was handed a healthy contract, reportedly $800,000 a season over six years .
“Compo is rubbish. He plays 19 games in two years and they get pick 33, lol,” a fan raged on X.Fans were equally enraged when the Neale compensation was revealed.
“What a f****** joke,” one fan said, while a Swans fan wondered why the pick for Amartey, who is 27 and getting a five-year deal from Carlton, was lower than the Giants pick. “How does Greene get better compo? Shorter contract, lower value and older. Please explain,” that fan said .
In fact, the Bulldogs are set for a bumper AFL trade period headlined by working through a deal for Port Adelaide superstar Zak Butters, ahead of a 2027 season where the club will have high expectations. After seeing off Carlton’s advances to keep hold of defender Buku Khamis, the Bulldogs have filled a major area of need by adding 26-year-old Butts.
“We are thrilled that a player of Jordon’s calibre chose to join the Western Bulldogs for 2027 and beyond,” Bulldogs list boss Michael Regan said in a statement on Saturday. “Jordon is a talented and competitive key defender who has proven he can negate and intercept against the best key forwards in the competition.
“His skill-set complements our existing backline, and as a high-quality footballer and person, he’ll add to our culture while giving himself and our defensive group the best chance to flourish. ” Lockdown defender Butts played 94 games for the Crows across eight seasons, and in 2026 averaged 11 touches, three intercept marks and five spoils a match.
“I am super excited to be joining the Bulldogs and getting to meet all the boys over the coming weeks,” Butts said. “I’m motivated to come into the club and make a difference, continuing to grow as a player and help the team wherever possible, working alongside some really talented individuals.
“There is a lot of excitement and optimism around the club at the moment and I couldn’t be more pleased to be a part of it as we chase success together. ” Butts has had several injury setbacks throughout his career, but was generally otherwise an important part of Adelaide’s defence.
“Jordon has committed eight years of his life to the Adelaide Football Club and that’s something we’ll forever be grateful for,” Crows list boss Jarryd Roughead said in a statement. “We wish him all the best for his next chapter. ”
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