THE NAB AFL Trade Period could be extended by more than a month for clubs wanting to swap picks if live trading on draft night is introduced next year.
The AFL is strongly considering bringing in the ability for clubs to trade picks during the draft, following the way of American sports. There is also the potential for players in the draft to be able to be traded as part of a more dynamic event.
Live draft pick trading could be in next year
In the case live trading is brought in, the League is considering also extending the Trade Period right through to the NAB AFL Draft, which is generally held in the final week of November.
Clubs believe the changes would go hand in hand, and allow for them to make trades to changes to their draft positions right up until their picks come.
Under the idea, the ability to trade already listed AFL players would remain confined to the regular period in October, which this year ran for 11 days and closed with a flurry of trades last Thursday.
AFL.com.au confirmed that the concept to leave open the ability to trade selections through to the draft has been raised.
"Once the whole trade, free agency and draft period is over for this year the player movement working group will chat about all the options," AFL spokesperson Patrick Keane said.
"It has been floated but we've had no detailed discussion on it."
There is almost unanimous support from list and recruiting managers for live trading to be introduced to draft night, which would allow clubs to be flexible and adjust their plans according to who is still left on the board.
For instance, at last year's draft if Fremantle (who held pick No.8) had a strong interest in local talent Griffin Logue and he was still available at Gold Coast's pick No.7, the Dockers could have done a deal with the Suns to trade up to No.7 to ensure they selected him.
Ameet Bains, who was a key part of St Kilda's list management team in the Trade Period and in December will take over as the Western Bulldogs' chief executive officer, told SEN the proposed move would fulfil the clubs' desire to complete more pick swaps.
"I think there's a lot of benefit. I think there were conversations had post-Trade Period on Thursday about having a little bit of extra time just to swap picks between clubs, because there was still an appetite I reckon for a few more trades to be done," Bains said.
"You're obviously waiting for some of the player deals to fall through before you can do that, and when they're falling through at 1.59, it doesn't leave a lot of time."
The Trade Period finished at 2pm AEDT last Thursday.
The draft has undergone an overhaul in recent years with the establishment of the new father-son and academy bidding system, while the trading of future draft selections has also added a new element to the trade period.
Hawthorn list manager Graham Wright and Geelong chief executive Brian Cook have been publicly supportive in recent days of bringing in draft night trading
This year's national draft will be held at the Sydney Showgrounds on November 24.
