Clubs could play a cluster of interstate games in a short period next year as part of an AFL Competition Committee idea to revolutionise the fixture.
Collingwood president and Competition Committee member Eddie McGuire revealed on Channel Nine that the concept was a talking point at Wednesday's meeting.
McGuire's inspiration came from American sports, particularly the NBA, where teams spend extended periods playing away from home – called a 'road swing' – rather than constantly going back and forth.
AFL sides sometimes play back-to-back interstate matches in a normal season, but will often fly home in between rather than treating the experience as one trip.
"For example, if Collingwood went to Perth, you play the West Coast Eagles and you stay there and play Fremantle and you might actually play Port Adelaide on the way back, if you like," McGuire said.
"So, you're out of town for maybe two or three weeks and you get those away games done.
"Is it better for West Coast and Fremantle, particularly, to be able to come over and play a block of games, so three or four games in a two or three-week period, then go home for two or three months?"
Former Dockers coach Ross Lyon gave the idea his tick of approval, saying the cumulative effect of so many flights across the country and back took its toll by season's end.
McGuire said no decisions were made on the 'road swing' concept, or the length of quarters for next season.
Matches this year consisted of 16-minute quarters – rather than 20 – plus time-on, to cater for the unique COVID-19 circumstances that saw teams playing with fewer days' break between games.
Time between goals also blew out from 45 seconds to one minute, with McGuire saying it was "a real passion killer" for spectators at the ground.
Retired Essendon great and AFL.com.au's Matthew Lloyd also wants to see quarters and the time between goals revert to the traditional lengths.
Magpies captain Scott Pendlebury is also advocating for that, and would even have supported the AFL doing so for this season's finals series.
"I think the game breaks open a lot in the last five minutes of quarters, then you add that into the last quarter and it's a lot more free-flowing," Pendlebury told SEN radio on Thursday.
"I think the football this year has been pretty stagnant and not as free-flowing, just because teams have energy to defend the ground for 16, 17 minutes.
"But if you stretch that for another five, six minutes, I think the game will open up a lot more.
"That's my personal view, but I can understand why they've kept it for the integrity and fairness of the competition."
Other Competition Committee members are the AFL's general manager of football operations Steve Hocking, club presidents Colin Carter and Peggy O'Neal, Sydney board member Andrew Ireland, club CEOs Andrew Fagan and Justin Reeves, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan and players Patrick Dangerfield and Stephen Coniglio.
