AFL to review controversial pre-finals bye

The pre-finals bye is only in its second year but the concept has polarised opinion, with Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson leading calls for it to be scrapped.

The AFL will review the controversial pre-finals bye amid ongoing calls for the concept to be scrapped.

Acting football operations manager Andrew Dillon said on Saturday that the bye had its merits, but the AFL would formally review the pros and cons anyway.

The bye weekend before the opening week of the finals was introduced last year to stop September-bound teams resting large numbers of players in round 23.

It was a key factor in the Western Bulldogs' historic premiership in 2016, where they pulled off the rare achievement of winning the grand final despite finishing the home and away season outside the top four.

Hawthorn's four-time premiership coach Alastair Clarkson has been prominent in his criticism.

"I think it's an enormous disadvantage finishing top four and winning your first final and playing one game in three weeks leading into a prelim," Clarkson said.

AFL greats Mick Malthouse and Brent Harvey are also not fans.

"We'll certainly look at it... we've only got one and half years of data on it, so we'll certainly review it," Dillon told Triple M.

"We'll certainly look at it at the end of the year and weigh up the reasons why we brought it in in the first place."

While the concept has attracted plenty of criticism, Dillon said there are important benefits.

"I think it adds to the first week of the finals, and has a big build up, also allows us to play a Thursday night final," he said.

"And the other implication it has, it also gives us much more flexibility in your scheduling (for) week two and three as well."