Former Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes has proposed an idea to keep interest in the AFL during the league's shutdown period.
With the league not resuming play until at least May 31, Cornes has raised the idea to move the highly October trade period to within the next four to six weeks.
Speaking on Channel 9's Footy Classified, the 300-game player spoke of his plan.
“The game needs something and they need to bring the trade period forward and make it in the next four to six weeks,” Cornes said.
“I’ve been watching the NFL and the headlines coming out of the free agency period, this has stimulated the whole sporting economy when there’s been no games played, it has propped up the sports stations, it’s got to happen.
“We are all sitting at home, there’s more eyeballs on AFL (website) during October than there are in September, lists are going to come down.”
With the uncertainty over the future of the competition, player agents and players are currently unable to sign off on deals.
However, Cornes believed there was no need for a draft this year, mainly due to the number of out of contract players that will need to be delisted.
“You don’t need a draft this year, lift the draft age to 19, you’ve said lists are going to be shortened to 35, so just hold off on the draft,” he said.
“The players aren’t ready, they haven’t played. Instead of the last club getting the first pick in the draft, they get the first pick in the free agency pool – there is going to be a lot of delisted free agents.
“This has to happen, is it an AFL stimulus package. People are at home on their phones consuming AFL, it gets the fans involved and it gives the players a lifeline they wouldn’t have if they are out of a job at the end of the year.
“Left-field thinking, something like this has to happen.”
