North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson says the "biggest issue" he sees is the return date of clubs for pre-season.
Clarkson queried why all 18 clubs returned within weeks of each other, despite the finals series stretching over a month, with the bye included.
In 2024, clubs that missed the finals returned to training on November 11, with first-to-fourth-year players mandated among those keen to work through the summer months. That was only 44 days following the grand final between Brisbane and Sydney.
However, the two grand finalists weren't far behind the rest of the competition, as the official start date of the pre-season, which was followed by the AFL National Draft, was in late November.
"The biggest issue I've got is that it's not equal for all clubs," Clarkson said on SEN Breakfast.
"All clubs come back, whether you go through to the grand final or not, within a week or two of each other when there's a gap of four or five weeks between the 10 sides that don't play finals and the two teams that do get through to the end of finals.
"Those extra four or five weeks those clubs get are the most important weeks of the year... so it's just enormous value for those clubs and it just gives them another shot in the arm (compared to) clubs that don't make the eight.
"Without a doubt (I'd like more time with the players), but the rules are the rules and you've just got to abide by what the AFLPA put in place.
"It makes it tougher, but it's even more incentive to get up the top and get that benefit."
The Kangaroos have struggled in the past decade and have been absent from the finals since 2016.
They have finished bottom three for the past five seasons, and are destined to make it six after their final 2025 clash against ladder leaders Adelaide.
