An in-season AFL tournament would "compromise" the competition and players wouldn't try as hard in those games.
That's the view of key North Melbourne defender Charlie Comben, after a raft of fixturing ideas were floated during a meeting of club chief executives on Monday.
Tasmania's inclusion will take the league to 19 teams in 2028 and plenty of options were laid out in four scenarios, including a reduced season of 20 games, with a three-week block set aside in the middle of the year for a separate tournament.
"How can you have something in season that's going to compromise the rest of the season?" Comben told Nova 100 on Tuesday.
"Boys aren't going to try as hard, essentially an in-season tournament if it's not towards the premiership.
"Our goal is to win a flag, so I think you keep the season kind of as is.
"I'm always open to new ideas and open to different rounds, etc. from the AFL, and changing the game for the better, but I'm not on board with that."
A group model was also suggested, the season running at 20 games, before the teams' ladder positions determine their seeding.
Four groups of four teams would play each other, with the bottom three on the ladder to face each other in a separate grouping to determine their draft positions.
* Option One
22 games per season, then finals
No Gather Round
* Option Two
24 games, then finals
Two neutral rounds - including Gather Round
* Option Three
20 games, then group stage over three weeks, then finals
Four groups of four (eg first group would be 1, 8, 9 and 16 on the ladder)
Bottom three play for draft positions
* Option Four
20 games, then finals
Three-week mid-season tournament
