AFL pushing hard for pre-season trade period
The push for a pre-season exchange period extends back as far as 1995 when master list manager Chris Pelchen sent the a 10-page document to league headquarters. Is the league about to listen?
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List management expert Chris Pelchen says a pre-season trade period is “long overdue”, urging the AFL to bring one in next year.
AFL footy boss Steve Hocking is pushing hard to add a second exchange period as the league continues to mimic American sports.
With clubs opposing a mid-season trade period, the AFL has been working behind the scenes on a pre-season model for next year.
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That option was presented to club chief executives at a recent conference and would take place in a window between the JLT Community Series and Round 1.
First and second-year draftees, as well as Category B rookies, would be off-limits.
Last year the league introduced live trading on draft night while a pre-season supplemental selection period and a mid-season draft were activated this year.
“It (a second trade period) is something that’s been long overdue, long overdue,” Pelchen said.
“While we now welcome in-draft trading, one of the weaknesses of our draft system has been that if you don’t ultimately secure the package of players you want then you can leave yourself short from a list management perspective.
“You need an opportunity to rectify the situation prior to the next national draft.
“The more flexibility you have in changing your list, the better, and we’re slowly but surely moving away from having a fixed list in position after the national and rookie drafts that can’t be changed for 12 months.”
Pelchen sent a 10-page document to league headquarters in 1995 campaigning for a post-draft trade period.
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Pelchen was also on a draft committee in the 1980s that flagged more player movement, but said a lot of the initial “architecture” was either lost or changed when league powerbroker Alan Schwab suddenly died.
“I sent a proposal to the AFL in 1995 on that very subject (a pre-season trade period),” Pelchen said.
“Ian Collins was in charge of football operations at the time, and there was always a plan to have a post-draft trade period.
“It’s something that’s been talked about for more than 20 years and it should’ve happened before now.”
Club bosses told the AFL that a March exchange period was “more palatable” than the mid-season idea.
The league is expected to meet with clubs before trade period begins this morning, where it could indicate changes for next season.
Originally published as AFL pushing hard for pre-season trade period
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