Aussie basketball ace Andrew Bogut says the AFL should adopt an NBA-style trade period which would see the exchange window open until the middle of the season.
Bogut told SEN Breakfast he thought players had too much say in trade negotiations and said a longer trade period as well as no longer requiring player approval for trades would give power back to clubs.
He also took aim at the homesickness excuse saying players needed to think of footy like any other job.
"Me being a bloke that's lived overseas for 14-15 years, yeah, it'd be great if there was an NBA team in Melbourne, but it's not a reality and I think [homesickness] shouldn't be a reason to go," Bogut told SEN on Wednesday morning.
"I think, if that is a reason that you request a trade, in my opinion, I think the trade period should then be extended to Round 8, Round 9, that's my belief."
"It does Americanise it a little bit and cause some anguish for some players but if they can just get out of a contract by saying they're homesick, well then a team should be able to move them wherever they want."
A mid-season trade deadline would increase the pressure on under-performing players with the potential to be traded if they did not improve.
Bogut has spent the last 18 months playing for four different NBA teams in a league where, unlike the AFL, teams do not need the player's approval to facilitate a trade.
