AFL TALENT agent Craig Kelly says coaches need to show more maturity in their dealings with players weighing up free agency options.
Kelly believes clubs should be more open to trading stars a year before they become free agents, by which stage the club risks receiving inadequate compensation.
Brian Lake has become the poster boy for such deals, the veteran leaving the rebuilding Bulldogs for Hawthorn in a mutually beneficial move that has netted him two premierships and seen classy youngster Nathan Hrovat flourish at Whitten Oval.
Elite Sports Properties chief Kelly also cited the situation of Adelaide superstar Patrick Dangerfield, the hottest property in this year's free agency market.
Kelly's son Jake, a first-year rookie with the Crows, lives with Dangerfield, who has been strongly linked to Geelong.
"I believe if you have a mature conversation with a mature club, with a mature coach, with a good kid who can handle the conversation, there's no danger in us talking (a year before the player's contract expires)," Kelly told AFL.com.au program First Bounce on Thursday.
"For example, Paddy Dangerfield talking to the Adelaide Crows a year before he's coming out of free agency, to have the conversation to say, 'I'm probably looking to go back to Melbourne. If you can do something this year that benefits the club and gets something for the club, I'm up for that conversation. If it doesn't happen, fantastic; I will still commit and do 100 per cent and prepare myself as I always do for the following year.' And you get on with it.
"I think that happened with (Gary) Ablett (at Geelong in 2010). Everyone knew what was going on but he, as I understand it, did everything that was asked of him and more.
"Each individual's slightly different and each club and each coach is different. Some of the coaches, I reckon, need to mature up a bit and say, 'This is going to be part of it. We need to keep playing and looking after these kids … as long as they're performing and doing what they need to do'
"It's going to be an interesting 12 months."
Kelly also said the AFL Players' Association needed to take a broader view as it lobbied for fewer restraints on player movement.
"There's a lot of push by the Players' Association to review a few things (but they) need to be a bit careful (because) there are quite a few clubs who aren't making a lot of money at the moment," he said.
"The industry's going OK … but I think when there's losses (like) we've had this year … we need to be very careful of what we do over the next little bit of time, and I know the powers that be upstairs (at the AFL) are probably very much aware and doing stuff about that."
