Don't expect to see off-contract AFL stars declaring they're off somewhere else at the end of the season any time soon.
Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury believes it's time the AFL industry grew up when it comes to the timing of player movement announcements.
But AFL chief Gillon McLachlan likes things just the way they are.
Pendlebury feels players coming out of contract at the end of a season - like Adelaide's Rory Sloane, Gold Coast's Tom Lynch and West Coast's Jeremy McGovern - are unduly mentally burdened by keeping quiet when speculation about their future rages.
"I would love for players to just be honest about it," Pendlebury told the Jock and Journo podcast.
"... stop babying people and treat them like adults."
Players looking to leave largely maintain their silence out of fear of being dropped or given their marching orders much as Carlton did with Lachie Henderson when he declared he wanted to switch to Geelong.
But even if a player intends to stay - like recently re-signed Port Adelaide star Ollie Wines - it doesn't hurt their negotiating position to keep their club in doubt for a while.
It's common for NRL players to announce they're moving clubs during a season, but McLachlan is firmly against the practice.
"I don't agree with that ... I actually look at the real world," McLachlan told 3AW on Friday.
"All employers have got people working for them and (they) should be considering their options and doing the right things for their careers.
"I don't think they need to declare that.
"In a football team ... people need to rely on each other and know that they're committed for that period of time.
"It doesn't mean that it's forever. Then at the end of the year you decide if you're going to leave or stay.
"You may have decided earlier but that's when you announce it."
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