The Australian Football League "has discussed the pros and cons of a mid-season trading period as the league tries to envision how the game will operate in the future," according to Patrick Smith of THE AUSTRALIAN.
The "radical suggestion came up at a powerful AFL think tank which also considered a nationwide mid-season draft as well as league clubs drafting from their state leagues."
It is believed the idea was "greeted enthusiastically by those at the think tank" -- AFL GM of Football Operations Mark Evans, the league’s General Counsel Andrew Dillon, salary cap boss Ken Woods, Integrity Officer Brett Clothier and as many as eight club list managers.
The think tank "was convened to discuss what football might look like in 10 to 15 years." Football "has previously had mid-season drafts: the last was in 1993." The trade idea "has much more going for it than anything similar to the old national mid-season draft which failed to provide long-term solutions."
The think tank felt that while the trade "was not without its own issues it would give failing clubs a chance to reposition themselves and sides still in the hunt for a premiership an opportunity to plug any weak spot" (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/22).
