Journal of Sports Economics, 10, 451-84

This study examines whether the player draft used in the Australian Football League (AFL) since 1986 has caused clubs to tank; that is, to seek to lose matches in order to obtain improved draft choices. A comparison of clubs' performances in regular season matches played before and after introduction of the draft provides no evidence that clubs have engaged in tanking. The main potential explanations for the absence of tanking in the AFL are the relatively low benefits to clubs from tanking, and limited opportunities for them to engage in this behaviour.

Working Papers

Draft available upon request.

Draft available upon request.

The rapid emergence of open source software has generated significant debate over its effect on software innovation. The goal of this paper is to explore the impact of open source software innovation on a mixed market also containing proprietary software, and to compare this market with a pure market in which only proprietary software firms exist. Building upon Hotelling's model of horizontal differentiation, open source innovation is characterized as the result of contributions from utility maximizing consumer-programmers. While I find that a mixed market can have more innovation than a pure market, increased open source innovation may decrease overall innovative activity and lead to lower welfare within a mixed market. These results are driven by the finding that innovation in open source software crowds out proprietary software innovation. The innovation and welfare effects of government policies such as subsidies or compulsory usage schemes are also considered.

Work in Progress