AFL Barwon general manager Lee Hartman said both the opening and closing dates of the AFL National Player Transfer Regulations needed to be addressed.

“When those rules were put in place there was footy season and cricket season,” Hartman said. “Clubs run 12 months of the year these days.

“Some clubs are getting burned by paying players a sign-on fee in November, but they can’t register them until February 1.

“By that stage, the player might have gone elsewhere. And by June 30 we’re already well into the second half of the season.”

AFL North East Border general manager John O’Don­ohue said he would support a move to alter the five-month transfer period to better reflect clubs’ recruiting processes.

“Clubs are signing players in the off-season but they don’t actually have them until clearances open on February 1,” O’Donohue said.

“And closing transfers earl­ier would protect clubs who are vying for a finals position, then all of a sudden a side sitting three or four spots below them recruits really well in June.”

Several clubs have landed key players in recent weeks.

Red Cliffs netted former AFL player Andrew Lovett, while Corowa-Rutherglen signed dual SANFL premiership player Brett Zorzi.

And Ballarat welcomed 2009 JJ Liston Trophy winner Myles Sewell.

An earlier clearances closure would likely reduce the ­frequency of one-off cameos from ex-AFL players.

AFL Goldfields general manger Rod Ward agreed the February 1 opening “could be looked at, absolutely”, but said the June 30 closure wasn’t a problem.

But Hartman said some “mercenary” players took advantage of the transfers period.

“It’s too big a window for players to shop themselves around,” Hartman said.

“And it gives cashed-up clubs the ability to throw a heap of money at players for only a few weeks of footy.”