Brisbane Lions midfielder Josh Dunkley has become the latest to endorse his support for the introduction of a mid-season trade period.
Dunkley, having departed the Western Bulldogs for the Lions during 2022's end-of-year trade period, is in the midst of an impressive 2023 campaign, averaging 25.9 disposals, 7.0 tackles, and 5.6 marks per game this season.
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Along with a number of AFL coaches, Dunkley believes that a mid-point dealing period would benefit players who aren't getting enough senior opportunity at their club.
"There's a lot of players that sit under the wings of teams that could be playing elsewhere," Dunkley toldย AFL.com.au's Michael Whiting.
"If it's a fair competition for all those players to get the most out of themselves and their career, potentially it's something they should look at."
Dunkley acknowledged that having players switch clubs in the middle of the year is risky in terms of potentially exposing gameplay, however, he also admitted most teams are cognisant of how each other plays.
"It's a hard one. You don't want to give away your game plan to different teams, but these days, everyone knows how everyone plays."
Prior to his move Queensland-bound, Dunkley had a 2020 trade request to Essendon denied, as he was still under contract at The Kennel.