THE AFL has moved to allow rookies to be part of trade week to encourage more movement of players between clubs post-season.

The AFL Commission approved the AFL and AFLPA Player Movement Working Party's recommendation that clubs should be able to include rookie list players as part of any trade.

As part of the changes to the player rules, any rookie player who is included in a trade must be placed on the senior list of the club to which he is traded.

Also, clubs may now count a post-season rookie upgrade – from the rookie list to the senior list – as one of their three compulsory changes to the senior list.
 
This change is designed to provide clubs more flexibility in their list given the recent change to draft age and the forthcoming draft concessions provided to the Gold Coast Football Club.

AFL football operations manager Adrian Anderson said the 16 AFL clubs were asked for their feedback last month and the proposal had widespread support and will be in place for this year's trade period.

"The recommendation to allow rookie-list players to be part of any trade had strong support in our discussions with clubs, and will provide further opportunities for players to move in the trade period," Anderson said.

"In recent years the AFL has made a number of changes in order to assist clubs manage their lists and facilitate the movement of players into and around the AFL competition.

"These have included the father/son bidding system, mature-age rookies, nominated and mid-year nominated rookies, trading of selections for selections, enabling out of contract players on October 31 to nominate for the draft and removing the restriction on the number of players permitted to be involved in a trade."