AFL Draft goes online using Microsoft Live Meeting

This article warms the cockles of an AFL loving geek's heart.

Draft goes online
Thursday 8 December 2005
Paul Gough
Sportal for afl.com.au
The six non-Victorian clubs will be saved the cost of having to fly to Melbourne to take part in next week's AFL pre-season and rookie drafts with all 16 clubs being able to make their selections from the comforts of their home base.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the twin drafts - to be held next Tuesday - would be electronic drafts as happens with the professional sports leagues in the United States.

"All 16 clubs will be linked using Microsoft Live Meeting technology, enabling them to lodge their selections without leaving their home state or club base," Anderson said.

Anderson said the system was better suited to the much smaller pre-season draft - where usually only a handful of players are selected - than the much bigger national draft in November.

"The AFL is not considering any change to the NAB AFL National Draft but an electronic draft for the pre-season and rookie draft enables our clubs to make significant time and cost savings," he said.

Only around half the 16 clubs will take place in the pre-season draft and while most clubs are expected to select rookies, some will only take one or two due to financial constraints.

All the clubs will be using Microsoft Live Meeting to participate in the AFL draft! Cool!!!!

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