Push to introduce mid-season trades

GERARD Whateley, Justin Leppitsch and Nick Dal Santo are fans of a potential mid-season trade period.

Richmond premiership coach Damien Hardwick has recently said he’d be a fan of the idea, adding his voice to the discussion.

It would see players be able to move clubs during the week of Round 12 in the AFL – the halfway mark of the season- in exchange for draft picks, exactly as the normal trade period in October.

Whateley believes the idea can spice up the competition and invite a new wave of attention to the game.

“There is an underclass of player who would be of great value of various clubs, they have higher value in season when clubs can identify their needs, and it’s great for careers,” he said on SEN’s Crunch Time.

“If you’re clever and creative, it would be so invigorating for the competition.”

He also pushed the point that a mid-season trade period used to be a staple of an AFL season.

“There’s a glorious history of this in the competition which is conveniently ignored by those who oppose it. We were the forerunners of it… and somewhere along the line we’ve stopped,” Whateley said.

Leppitsch also likes the idea, implying the stress on list managers is too much and the option to utilise a second trade period would allow more deals to get done.

“I don’t think there’s enough player movement in the game… It’s so hard to get (any trades) done, it’s almost impossible, and you’ve got to get it done in a week during trade period,” he said.

“Collingwood and Hawthorn are desperate to stockpile some draft points, why not do that next week (during a supposed mid-season trade period) instead of after the season?”

Mitch Wallis was floated as one such player who could benefit from a mid-season trade window, with the Bulldogs vice-captain finding himself out of the team and seemingly well down the pecking order at the club.

Despite his support for the concept, Dal Santo believes Wallis would be one player better off staying at his club, rather than trying his luck at a hypothetical mid-season trade period.

“If I’m Mitch Wallis I would sacrifice 11 games for the possibility of being a part of the finals campaign,” Dal Santo said.

“I’d sacrifice those 11 and then leave at the end of the year.”

Wallis will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2021 season.

– SEB MOTTRAM/ SEN