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THE AFL will use Thursday's NAB AFL Draft as a means to trial a new "mathematically based" program that could radically change the father-son and academy bidding system.

AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan did not specify how the new model would take shape, but said the proposal had received support from clubs.

"It's so mathematically based it blows your head off, but we presented it to the CEOs and the footy managers and they like it," McLachlan told AFL.com.au's NAB Draft Countdown.

McLachlan said there was "a fair chance" the father-son and academy bidding system would be overhauled next year.

"We're running a trial of the proposed new system in parallel with [the draft] tonight, and that will give us the data hopefully to evolve the bidding system for next year," he said.

Under the existing model, father-son or academy recruits are subject to a bidding process that sees eligible clubs having to match rival bids with their next draft selection.

The bidding meeting for father-son prospects and nominated players from the northern clubs' academies was held on Monday, October 6 – almost two months before the draft.