Hawthorn president Jeff Kennett has called for AFL club boards to be removed and replaced by independent commissioners if they fail to make good use of financial assistance.

Kennett said he was not opposed to poorer clubs getting special distributions from the league, but there needed to be a "line in the sand" drawn over the next five years.

The outgoing Hawks president said any club that failed to use the extra money over that time to meet key performance indicators (KPIs) designed to measure financial independence, should be temporarily taken over by the AFL.

"If over the next five years that board does not achieve those KPIs, and that is bring about a greater independence, then the AFL should be prepared to remove that board and put in place two or three what I would call commissioners, for two or three years, to get that club back on its feet," Kennett said.

The former Victorian Premier said the alternative could be the AFL pumps an endless stream of money into a club, for no return.

"If they don't deliver, what is the penalty imposed? Is it we just put in more money?" he said at a pre-match function at the MCG on Saturday.

"I happen to believe that boards have got to be responsible for their own operations, so I feel very, very strongly if we're working towards sustainability, we've got to establish some KPIs.

"And if they don't achieve those KPIs the penalty is that the board goes."

Kennett said the plan was similar to what the Victorian government did to reform local councils when he was premier.

He also said clubs that failed to draw big enough crowds to cover costs at matches should not have to meet the deficit themselves.

Kennett said given the opponent and the venue was chosen by the AFL, the competition should pick up the tab.

"Those clubs, particularly the weaker clubs who are desperately trying to rebuild, (should not be) penalised for staging the game that is directed by the AFL," he said.

"How are they ever going to get out of the situation they are in, if two, three, four or six times a year they have to pay a six-figure sum for the stadium to open?"

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