The main concern holding the AFL back from a mid-season trade period

Connor Scanlon • April 9th, 2025 3:13 pm

AFL CEO Andrew Dillon has confirmed the league is carefully evaluating a mid-season trade period, but says competitive balance and league integrity remain key roadblocks.

Speaking on SEN’s Whateley, Dillon said the AFL had already cleared one major hurdle regarding introducing the mid-season trade period.

“We discussed it with the players association (AFLPA), so we have got the green light to implement it,” he said.

However, despite growing calls for the mid-season trade period to be implemented ASAP following the Christian Petracca and Oscar Allen situations, Dillon pointed to one unresolved issue holding the concept back.

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“The concern has been again from a competitive balance point of view,” he said.

“Whether there would be undue advantage for a Victorian team to partake in those trades.

“Where you could be traded and change clubs without having to move home as opposed to moving interstate.

“That's been the tricky part that we haven't been able to solve.”

Dillon believes the league will eventually find a solution to this problem.

“I think there will be a time that it will be solvable,” he said.

“But again, the competition at the moment is incredibly well balanced.

“What we don't want to do is just bring something in for the sake of it, if it's going to upset that balance.”

He doubled down on the importance of keeping the competition’s balance intact, adding that nothing should disrupt the league's “finely tuned” structure.

When asked about the broader appeal of a mid-season trade window, Dillon was clear on priorities.

“I think what's desirable is that there's opportunities for players,” he said.

“But I think absolutely in the end, what you want is integrity in the competition.”

And that integrity, he said, is something the AFL will not compromise.