Since the opening of the AFL free agency and trade period there has been controversy around the AFL's compensation for clubs losing free agents.
Ben McKay managed to net North Melbourne pick three, while even Matthew Flynn, who played only nine games in 2023, earned GWS an end of second-round selection.
The Sporting News explains how the free agency compensation works and looks through the history of free agents.
MORE: AFL trade done deals tracker: Zac Fisher gets North Melbourne wish
AFL free agency compensation formula explained
The exact formula used by the AFL for free agency compensation picks is unknown but the facts can be analysed.
A points value is assigned to free agents based on:
- Their average guaranteed contract value
- What percentile of the AFL contracts theirs falls into
- Age - with 25-year-old's getting most value
Once the point values are assessed, free agents are ranked in bands with the top five percent getting a first-round compensation pick, while the bottom 30 per cent get no compensation.
Why does it seem like compensation picks are too high?
Question marks have been asked over the level of compensation picks handed out during the 2023 free agency period.
Fringe players such as James Jordon and Matthew Flynn warranted end of second round compensation, while Ben McKay snared pick three and Tom Doedee netted Adelaide end of the first.
The reason why these players have attained bigger compensation for their former clubs is their salaries are based on the 2024 salary cap, which has increased on the 2023 cap, and the formula is calculated based on the current cap.
It's a loophole that is likely to be adjusted by the AFL.
History of AFL free agent moves and compensation
2023 Free Agents
| Player | Free agent type | Recruited from | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Jordon | Unrestricted | Melbourne | Sydney | End of Second Round |
| Matt Flynn | Unrestricted | Greater Western Sydney | West Coast | End of Second Round |
| Joel Hamling | Unrestricted | Fremantle | Sydney | None |
| Tom Doedee | Restricted | Adelaide | Brisbane Lions | End of First Round |
| Todd Goldstein | Unrestricted | North Melbourne | Essendon | None |
| Ben McKay | Restricted | North Melbourne | Essendon | First Round |
2022 Free Agents
| Player | Free agent type | Recruited from | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl Amon | Unrestricted | Port Adelaide | Hawthorn | Pick 30 |
| Jayden Hunt | Unrestricted | Melbourne | West Coast | Pick 52 |
| Daniel McStay | Unrestricted | Brisbane Lions | Collingwood | Pick 35 |
| Liam Jones | Unrestricted | Carlton | Western Bulldogs | Pick 47 |
| Zaine Cordy | Unrestricted | Western Bulldogs | St Kilda | None |
| Francis Evans | Delisted | Geelong | Port Adelaide | None |
| Fergus Greene [b] | Delisted | Box Hill Hawks (VFL) | Hawthorn | None |
2021 Free Agents
| Player | Free agent type | Recruited from | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jake Kelly | Unrestricted | Adelaide | Essendon | Pick 42 |
| Mabior Chol | Unrestricted | Richmond | Gold Coast | Pick 38 |
| George Hewett | Restricted | Sydney | Carlton | Pick 40 |
| Luke Dunstan | Unrestricted | St Kilda | Melbourne | None |
| Tim O'Brien | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | Western Bulldogs | None |
| Jarrod Brander | Delisted | West Coast | Greater Western Sydney | None |
| Sam Skinner | Delisted | South Adelaide (SANFL) | Port Adelaide | None |
| Tom Campbell | Delisted | North Melbourne | St Kilda | None |
| Tyson Stengle | Delisted | Woodville-West Torrens (SANFL) | Geelong | None |
| Hugh Greenwood | Delisted | Gold Coast | North Melbourne | None |
2020 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rory Atkins | 30 October | Unrestricted | Adelaide | Gold Coast | Pick 40 |
| Isaac Smith | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | Geelong | Pick 46 | |
| Joe Daniher | Restricted | Essendon | Brisbane Lions | Pick 7 | |
| Aidan Corr | Restricted | Greater Western Sydney | North Melbourne | Pick 31 | |
| Zac Williams | Restricted | Greater Western Sydney | Carlton | Pick 10 | |
| Brad Crouch | 4 November | Restricted | Adelaide | St Kilda | Pick 23 |
| Shaun McKernan | 6 November | Unrestricted | Essendon | St Kilda | None |
| James Frawley | 26 November | Delisted | Hawthorn | St Kilda | None |
| Mitch Hinge | Delisted | Brisbane Lions | Adelaide | None |
2019 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandon Ellis | 4 October | Restricted | Richmond | Gold Coast | Pick 44 |
| Cam Ellis-Yolmen | 5 October | Unrestricted | Adelaide | Brisbane Lions | Pick 48 |
| Adam Tomlinson | 7 October | Unrestricted | Greater Western Sydney | Melbourne | Pick 40 |
| Grant Birchall | 10 October | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | Brisbane Lions | None |
| Wylie Buzza | 1 November | Delisted | Geelong | Port Adelaide | None |
| Jack Newnes | Delisted | St Kilda | Carlton | None | |
| Kaiden Brand | Delisted | Hawthorn | Sydney | None | |
| Sam Gray | Delisted | Port Adelaide | Sydney | None | |
| Ryan Abbott | 22 November | Delisted | Geelong | St Kilda | None |
| Josh Walker | 29 November | Delisted | Brisbane Lions | North Melbourne | None |
2018 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reece Conca | 5 October | Unrestricted | Richmond | Fremantle | None |
| Luke Dahlhaus | Unrestricted | Western Bulldogs | Geelong | Pick 32 | |
| Tom Lynch | 8 October | Restricted | Gold Coast | Richmond | Pick 3 |
| Scott Lycett | 9 October | Restricted | West Coast | Port Adelaide | Pick 23 |
| Alex Fasolo | 10 October | Unrestricted | Collingwood | Carlton | Pick 55 |
| Jarryd Lyons | 1 November | Delisted | Gold Coast | Brisbane Lions | None |
| Tom Sheridan | Delisted | Fremantle | Greater Western Sydney | None | |
| Darren Minchington | Delisted | St Kilda | Hawthorn | None | |
| Jordan Murdoch | 7 November | Delisted | Geelong | Gold Coast | None |
| Daniel Menzel | 14 November | Delisted | Geelong | Sydney | None |
2017 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jackson Trengove | 6 October 2017 | Restricted | Port Adelaide | Western Bulldogs | None |
| Tom Rockliff | 11 October 2017 | Restricted | Brisbane Lions | Port Adelaide | Pick 18 |
| Steven Motlop | 14 October 2017 | Restricted | Geelong | Port Adelaide | Pick 19 |
| Alex Morgan | 1 November 2017 | Delisted | Essendon | North Melbourne | None |
| Aaron Mullett | 1 November 2017 | Delisted | North Melbourne | Carlton | None |
| Lachlan Keeffe | 2 November 2017 | Delisted | Collingwood | Greater Western Sydney | None |
| Trent McKenzie | 2 November 2017 | Delisted | Gold Coast | Port Adelaide | None |
| Jack Trengove | 3 November 2017 | Delisted | Melbourne | Port Adelaide | None |
2016 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ty Vickery | 10 October 2016 | Restricted | Richmond | Hawthorn | Pick 29 |
| Daniel Wells | 11 October 2016 | Unrestricted | North Melbourne | Collingwood | Pick 36 |
| Chris Mayne | 12 October 2016 | Unrestricted | Fremantle | Collingwood | Pick 25 |
| Nathan Brown | 16 October 2016 | Restricted | Collingwood | St Kilda | None |
| James Kelly | 4 November 2016 | Delisted | Essendon | Essendon | None |
| Matt Dea | 4 November 2016 | Delisted | Essendon | Essendon | None |
| Michael Barlow | 8 November 2016 | Delisted | Fremantle | Gold Coast | None |
| Ricky Henderson | 8 November 2016 | Delisted | Adelaide | Hawthorn | None |
| Josh Green | 15 November 2016 | Delisted | Brisbane Lions | Essendon | None |
2015 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Suckling | 12 October 2015 | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | Western Bulldogs | Pick 38 |
| Scott Selwood | 12 October 2015 | Restricted | West Coast | Geelong | Pick 37 |
| Matthew Leuenberger | 15 October 2015 | Restricted | Brisbane Lions | Essendon | Pick 39 |
| Dawson Simpson | 16 October 2015 | Unrestricted | Geelong | Greater Western Sydney | None |
| Andrew Moore | 6 November 2015 | Delisted | Port Adelaide | Richmond | None |
| Jarrad Grant | 6 November 2015 | Delisted | Western Bulldogs | Gold Coast | None |
| Daniel Gorringe | 9 November 2015 | Delisted | Gold Coast | Carlton | None |
| Matthew Wright | 26 November 2015 | Delisted | Adelaide | Carlton | None |
2014 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jarrad Waite | 3 October 2014 | Unrestricted | Carlton | North Melbourne | None |
| Shaun Higgins | 3 October 2014 | Restricted | Western Bulldogs | North Melbourne | Pick 27 |
| James Frawley | 6 October 2014 | Unrestricted | Melbourne | Hawthorn | Pick 3 |
| Nick Malceski | 6 October 2014 | Unrestricted | Sydney | Gold Coast | Pick 39 |
| James Gwilt | 11 October 2014 | Unrestricted | St Kilda | Essendon | None |
| Taylor Hunt | 2 November 2014 | Delisted | Geelong | Richmond | None |
| Tim Membrey | 5 November 2014 | Delisted | Sydney | St Kilda | None |
| Joel Hamling | 2 November 2014 | Delisted | Geelong | Western Bulldogs | None |
| Sam Blease | 3 November 2014 | Delisted | Melbourne | Geelong | None |
| Mitch Robinson | 3 November 2014 | Delisted | Carlton | Brisbane Lions | None |
| Ben Newton | 5 November 2014 | Delisted | Port Adelaide | Melbourne | None |
| Matthew Dick | 5 November 2014 | Delisted | Sydney | Carlton | None |
2013 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew White | 4 October 2013 | Unrestricted | Richmond | Port Adelaide | None |
| Colin Sylvia | 4 October 2013 | Restricted | Melbourne | Fremantle | Pick 23 |
| Eddie Betts | 4 October 2013 | Restricted | Carlton | Adelaide | None |
| Lance Franklin | 8 October 2013 | Restricted | Hawthorn | Sydney | Pick 19 |
| Dale Thomas | 9 October 2013 | Restricted | Collingwood | Carlton | Pick 11 |
| Xavier Ellis | 16 October 2013 | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | West Coast | None |
| Nick Dal Santo | 18 October 2013 | Restricted | St Kilda | North Melbourne | Pick 25 |
| Daniel Cross | 1 November 2013 | Delisted | Western Bulldogs | Melbourne | None |
| Jeremy Laidler | 1 November 2013 | Delisted | Carlton | Sydney | None |
| Luke McGuane | 4 November 2013 | Delisted | Richmond | Brisbane Lions | None |
| Dylan Addison | 7 November 2013 | Delisted | Western Bulldogs | Greater Western Sydney | None |
| Tony Armstrong | 7 November 2013 | Delisted | Sydney | Collingwood | None |
| Robin Nahas | 8 November 2013 | Delisted | Richmond | North Melbourne | None |
| Aidan Riley | 11 November 2013 | Delisted | Adelaide | Melbourne | None |
| Tom Derickx | 18 November 2013 | Delisted | Richmond | Sydney | None |
2012 Free Agents
| Player | Date | Free agent type | Former club | New club | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Danyle Pearce | 1 October 2012 | Restricted | Port Adelaide | Fremantle | Pick 29 |
| Brendon Goddard | 1 October 2012 | Restricted | St Kilda | Essendon | Pick 13 |
| Chris Knights | 1 October 2012 | Unrestricted | Adelaide | Richmond | None |
| Troy Chaplin | 1 October 2012 | Restricted | Port Adelaide | Richmond | Pick 30 |
| Quinten Lynch | 2 October 2012 | Unrestricted | West Coast | Collingwood | Pick 60 |
| Shannon Byrnes | 4 October 2012 | Unrestricted | Geelong | Melbourne | None |
| Tom Murphy | 12 October 2012 | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | Gold Coast | None |
| Brent Moloney | 12 October 2012 | Restricted | Melbourne | Brisbane Lions | Pick 49 |
| Jared Rivers | 18 October 2012 | Unrestricted | Melbourne | Geelong | None |
| Clinton Young | 19 October 2012 | Unrestricted | Hawthorn | Collingwood | Pick 64 |
| Jonathan Simpkin | 1 November 2012 | Delisted | Geelong | Hawthorn | None |
| Tom Gillies | 13 November 2012 | Delisted | Geelong | Melbourne | None |
| Dylan Roberton | 30 November 2012 | Delisted | Fremantle | St Kilda | None |
| Nick Lower | 3 December 2012 | Delisted | Fremantle | Western Bulldogs | None |
