The AFL is “very worried” about the increasing spate of long-term player contracts and could look to introduce an NBA-style cap on the length of deals.

Melbourne star Kysaiah Pickett became the latest player to ink a long-term contact, signing a nine-year deal last week that ties him to the Demons until 2034.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: AFL worried about long-term contracts.

Pickett’s deal makes him the longest signed player in the AFL, surpassing Fremantle gun Hayden Young, who is locked in until 2033.

Gold Coast’s Mac Andrew, who is signed until 2030, also has a trigger in place that could see him be locked away until 2034.

There are a host of other players around the league contracted to 2032 and 2031, but all those deals could soon be trumped by emerging West Coast superstar Harley Reid.

Reid is still only in his second AFL season after being taken with pick No.1 in the 2023 draft.

Still on his initial three-year contract that expires at the end of next year, Reid could soon become the highest-paid player in the league with Victorian clubs queuing up for his signature.

But according to Channel 7’s Caroline Wilson, clubs need to present a 10-year deal at $15m at a minimum to get a look in with the 20-year-old.

“There definitely is (nervousness from clubs around long-term contracts) and most of it centres around Harley Reid, who to a degree is an unknown talent because he has been in the competition less than two full seasons so no-one quite knows yet what he’s capable of,” she said on The Agenda Setters.

“Two different clubs today confirmed to me that they’ve been told, unless you’re talking 10 years at around $1.5 million at an absolute minimum, don’t even bother having the conversation. And the years have been higher.

“Now, this is just extraordinary to me.”

The AFL quietly introduced a new rule ahead of the 2024 season, which was designed to protect clubs against long-term deals.

The AFL sent all clubs a memo titled “high-risk player contracts” and said that any contract lodged of six years or longer must come with written president and CEO approval to avoid clubs questioning these deals in years to come.

But Wilson reports the league could look to follow the NBA and only allow maximum five-year contracts.

However, any change couldn’t be implemented until the next CBA (collective bargaining agreement) with the current agreement in place until the end of 2027.

“The AFL are very worried about this. They tried to put this into the last CBA,” Wilson continued.

“They tried to put term limits on contracts and money limits. They couldn’t get away with that. But I think they’re now looking at doing what the NBA does.”

Fellow panellist Luke Hodge said it would be a “smart” move.

“I think to protect the club themselves, because people are giving big contracts that will finish when they’ve left the club,” he said.

“So they won’t be held responsible and they won’t leave the club in bad situations if a nine or ten-year deal falls over through injury, through concussion.”