AFL chief executive Andrew Demetriou says the priority pick system is here to stay despite the repeated 'tanking claims' now being levelled against Carlton.
The Blues will receive an extra draft pick and the coveted number one pick in this year's draft if they fail to win another game this season but will drop back to third in the draft pecking order if they win another match.
That has led to accusations of tanking being levelled at the Blues, after they lost narrowly to St Kilda and Collingwood in the past fortnight - particularly on Saturday when they trailed the Magpies by just a goal with five minutes remaining before losing by four goals after champion spearhead Brendan Fevola was taken from the field.
However Demetriou said the system - which gives the first pick of the draft to a team that fails to win no more than four games in two successive seasons - was here to stay.
"We don't change a rule every single time someone raises it as an issue," he said on Tuesday, after talkback radio was dominated by claims of the Blues deliberately losing with even many Blues' fans ringing in saying they are hoping their team loses every game for the rest of the season.
"If we based our rules on the latest popularity poll through the media, we would be changing rules every week," Demetriou added.
Demetriou said the over-emphasis on early draft picks being the be all and end all of success was 'delusional'.
"I am glad (Brisbane coach) Leigh Matthews came out yesterday and said people were naïve to think that way," Demetriou said.
"And I am glad that (Carlton coach) Brett Ratten came out the other day and said 'you should come into the rooms and see the players (after a loss) and then say they had been tanking'."
"It (accusations of tanking) questions the integrity of the game and I find it offensive."
Demetriou said there was too much to lose for any football club to consider deliberately losing games in order to get a better draft pick.
"Coaches put their heart and soul into the game and so do the players."
"Coaches lose their jobs, sponsors walk away, members don't sign up, people leave in droves (from losing clubs) - what so they can get a priority pick."
"It doesn't make any sense and please go back through the records and tell me someone that has won a flag through priority picks over the years."
Demetriou said even if the league got rid of the priority pick system, he believes the debate over whether it's better for struggling teams to lose or win at this time of the season would continue.
"Teams know the rules are in place and if Carlton gets a priority pick this year good luck to them but I have no doubt they will be trying (to win) this week and the week after."
"So you can bang on about it all you like but it (the priority pick system) won't be changed."
"And even if we did people would then find something else to debate about such as whether the bottom team should get the first draft pick."
"But I guarantee you this - a priority pick does not guarantee you success and there is so much more to being a successful football club (than getting a priority draft pick)."