Trade week seems quite silly. Why can't the AFL try to adopt trade patterns like below in American sport?

Very well thought out question and you make a good point... I think you will find with Aussies and their AFL is that they dont like change, any change.

While some people are getting impatient with they way trade is run, I doubt they will adopt the American way of trading during the year. I have a feeling there might be SOME changes introduced, perhaps reducing it to 2 days - but I have to agree with the others on this one...loyalty to a club is paramount for Aussies and AFL, and any player that jumped ship in the middle of a season would not be looked at favorably.

Your question does highlight a need to reduce the tedious trade week though!!

The trade idea that you suggested probably wouldnt work because of the way that the players are contracted and the mess of legalwork and paperwork involved.

Players have been known to have 'private discussions' with other clubs during the season in order to secure where they wish to be come the end of the season. We would be naive not to realise this. But usually a players motive for being traded would be due to a rift within the club or personal circumstances. Most players prefer to be a one club player for their entire career.

I also think that if players were traded throughout the season it would cause a lot of unrest within the clubs involved and it would be very difficult for a player to move from one club and forge an instant bond with another. These things take time and work and gr8 clubs usually come from gr8 relationships between players and staff. The off season is the best time to work on this - going out on field barely knowing your teammates as well as their playing style would be very tough!

Campdog summed it up; loyalty is an enormous thing in the sport of Aussie Rules.

Trade week has been disappointing this year because of the introduction of the new teams, seeing as they will get a lot of preference picks next year. All of the teams want to hang onto the picks (because they will be the youth that they wont be able to have for a few years). So clubs don;t want to give up their picks and therefore trades are hard to comeback. It several years when the new teams stop getting a lot of the first round picks... trade week will work again!

No way mate

Could not imagine any player jumping ship mid season, reckon it devalues the player, the club and if they win it the flag.

Imagine the players belting each other one week then next week having to put your body on the line to protect him.

Loyalty is a revered thing look at Shane Crawford 17 years and finally got his Grand Final medal that would mean a hell of a lot more than jumping ship at Round 15 and getting one.

I agree with cute little bird, mate, loyalty in AFL in a big thing.

The difference I see between Aussie sports and American sports, is that the yanks do it for the money, while (most) Aussie's do it for the love of the game, and loyalty to their team.

Aussies would rather play for one team, and move on only if they are not getting enough game time, or have family (or Business) in another state. or they think that have a better "shot" with another team.

Americans will go where-ever they make the biggest bucks

That's one reason why AFL has a salary cap.

To stop it from becoming a top players "market" like the US.

Sorry mate, I don't like the idea of players leaving clubs midway through the season. As someone above me said - It devalues the player. It's like Israel Folau in the NRL, he made a deal to join the Broncos midway through the season, but had to play out the year with Storm, even though the supporters knew his heart wasn't there.

I like trade week, but in order to stop all the speculation it should be cut down to a couple of days, forcing the clubs to make quicker decisions, I think that would be fair.

I dont think i like that method, im not saying that it is silly or that it wouldnt work, because it would -- but i think the AFL system is more efficent.

I couldnt imagine a player swapping teams midway through the season, that doesnt show dedication and is not fair at all.

Nah, just keep it this way, I say.

I don't like the NBA system with the trading of future picks etc. Too confusing. Especially with Denver giving away Camby for virtually nothing :@

I really would rather keep our system I watched the NBL draft on ESPN and it was a messy system clubs trading their draft choices while the draft went on around them it was hard to keep with who was going where

why fix something that isnt broken?

the only thing i can think of that they should change, is to have the Trade week reduced down to maybe 2 days. therefore, some players dont have to wait for so long to hear their coaches say "you're not needed anymore"