The AFL must hold its trade period "in the next four to six weeks" to keep the game ticking during the coronavirus shutdown, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes says.
Cornes also said that the 2020 draft should be skipped, with clubs instead taking turns picking delisted free agents amid an expected reduction in club lists.
With footy in limbo thanks to COVID-19, Cornes said that an early trade period could bring footy back to the fore.
"The game needs something and they need to bring the trade period forward and make it in the next four to six weeks," Cornes said on Footy Classified.
"I've been watching the NFL and the headlines coming out of the free agency period in the NFL. This has stimulated the whole sporting economy in America when there's been no games played. This has propped up the sports stations ... [Tom] Brady going to Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
"It's got to happen in the next four to six weeks. We are all sitting at home, there are more eyeballs on afl.com during October (the usual trade period) than there are during September (finals)."
Columnist Caroline Wilson pointed out that just a single game had been played this season. Cornes said that he viewed the move as part of an AFL "stimulus package".
He said that there would be enormous player movement this year even if the draft was skipped, due to touted cuts in list sizes from about 45 to 30-35.
"Lists are going to come down ... everything's on the table. You don't need a draft this year, lift the draft age to 19 [for 2021]," Cornes said.
"You (Wilson) have said lists are going to be reduced to 35; there's going to be players looking for jobs, so just hold on the draft. The players aren't ready, they haven't played, they're not ready to come in.
"So instead of the last club getting the first pick in the draft, they get the pick of the free agency pool. There's going to be a lot of delisted free agents."
Cornes insisted that an early trade period was what footy needed.
"This has to happen," he said.
"It is an AFL stimulus package where people are at home on their phones consuming AFL. It gets the fans involved, it gives the players a lifeline that they wouldn't once have and they're going to be out a job at the end of year.
"Left-field thinking - something like this has to happen."
from WWOS http://wwos.nine.com.au/afl/trade-period-brought-forward-kane-cornes-coronavirus-shutdown-idea/31d7ae99-2403-4dff-9033-2fe57ae8a328
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