Geelong superstar and AFLPA Presidentย Patrick Dangerfield has supported an AFL mid-season trade period, allowing players and clubs to have a brief period to conduct deals during the season.
Dangerfield agrees that a move to a mid-season trade period could benefit the league with the potential for trades to help boost excitement and engagement going into the second half of the season. While also potentially changing the landscape of the league during a season, possibly giving finals chances to new teams who pull off a successful trade.
With a mid-season trade period already existing for European soccer with the January transfer window, there has been serious discussion from the AFL to implement a similar scheme of allowing a brief period in the middle of the season for player trades.
See Also: AFL open-minded to mid-season trade exchanges
Dangerfield is all for the move, suggesting that it would breathe new life into the footy season that can stagnate during the mid-year period.
Speaking on SEN's Whateley, Dangerfield expressed why he thought the mid-season trade period could be a success for the competition.
"I see plenty of good stuff to potentially come out of it and not too many negatives. It will never be perfect," Dangerfield said.
"I see it as a mechanic to improve the game and provide opportunities for other players, which I think is a good thing"
"I can see this actually happening in the next couple of seasons"
Dangerfield believes there could be a chance the trade period is brought about with a new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) in negotiation for the coming years.
Despite plenty of work and likely years still to go before a mid-season draft is brought to fruition, the Brownlow medallist is aware that the idea could bring exciting opportunities and a new spark to the game.
โThere will be clubs who support it and there will be clubs who question it," Dangerfield said.
โDoes it remove the art of list management? Potentially.
โDoes it add a greater amount of excitement and intrigue to it? I think it does.
"We're in the entertainment industry, so there's a bit of understanding the importance of that."
