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AFL coaches are calling for a mid-year draft or trade period, with league chief Gillon McLachlan saying the commission will consider the proposal.
Collingwood coach Nathan Buckley last month publicly suggested the league revive the mid-year draft, which was most recently held in 1993.
Buckley’s squad has been decimated by injury this season, and the opportunity to pluck players from state and regional leagues would have been an obvious leg up for the Magpies.
McLachlan revealed Buckley wasn’t alone in supporting the mid-year draft.
“Coaches were big on it at our coaches catch up,” McLachlan told the Seven Network’s Talking Footy, referencing the dinner he held last month.
“There’s two issues – is it a draft or a trade period? Some people said (it should be) a trade period potentially.
“There was support amongst the coaching group, (AFL football operations manager) Mark (Evans) has taken that back (to the commission).”
McLachlan doubted whether the game-changing concept would “get up in time for next year”.
“It would be something … more likely for 2016,” he added.
McLachlan said the league was not planning on scrapping the substitute or interchange cap, despite recent conjecture to the contrary.
“I’ve heard a bit of momentum about that … he (Evans) has been pretty definitive that he’s not looking at varying either of these,” he said.
The commission is likely to consider Melbourne’s request for a priority pick in October.
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