Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley is a big advocate for slightly shorter quarters and more matches across a regular season.
Speaking on Sportsday, Hinkley believes a 27-round AFL season would make for a fairer draw.
“My magic number is 27,” he said.
“Because then you play one and a half rounds a year and after three years you play everyone twice.
“We’re never going to get to 34 games of footy, but we might be able to get close enough to one and a half rounds a year and then it returns the next year.
“You know what your teams are. You know what your draw is.
“I think the draw can be so skewed between one year and the next with ladder performance.”
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Hinkley would also like to see quarters shortened from 20 minutes to 18.
Quarters were cut to 16 minutes plus time on in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I’ve got no problems (with shorter quarters). I think it’s the way the game probably needs to go if you ask me,” Hinkley said.
“When we went back to 16 minutes the games probably felt marginally too short, I reckon.
“If you’re talking about what we’re asking physically for our players to be able to do and to have these five-day breaks, you can’t squeeze any more out of the lemon.
“We prepare them as well and as sharply as we can within an inch of their absolute best every week. It’s a collision game and injuries are going to happen.
“When fatigue and collisions happen, it’s probably more dangerous.
“I’m a big advocate for slightly less game time and more footy. I think that’s our way to get a more even draw.”
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