The AFL will consider a mid-season trade period, an innovation that would dramatically change the system which enables players to switch clubs.

The proposal was put forward at Thursday's meeting of club chief executives and was apparently well-received.

Mid-season trades are allowed in professional sports such as Major League Baseball in North America.

The AFL have already agreed to introduce limited free agency.

"It was interesting today to see there was a genuine level of support to explore it further and to see whether it was something that would really add to the flexibility of players moving between clubs," AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson told Channel Nine's The Footy Show.

The mid-season trade period could be part of the league as early as next season.

It would mean a player could play for one club and be at another the following weekend.

"You could potentially trade the draft picks you have at the end of that year," Anderson said.

"There's no doubt the fans love the trade period on the whole, it creates a huge amount of intrigue and fascination.

"If it does free things up further - it's something we've spoken to the players association as well - I think it would generate a lot of interest.

"We just have to think about what implications it has for the competition, how you manage the salary cap side of it, etc."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP