North Melbourne will again use a shortened version of the game as part of its pre-season training program.

The Roos trialled AFLX (a seven-a-side game played on a soccer sized field) last year and found it worked well as a fitness and conditioning tool.

The AFL is looking to introduce a round robin competition in February and it has the club’s backing.

“We like it and we think it’s the best time of the year to play it,” North GM Football Cameron Joyce told the Herald Sun.

“Guys are fit and ready and playing match simulation anyway.

“It was high scoring, you could kick goals from anywhere and, given it was high intensity, there were certainly some physiological benefits.”

According to Joyce, even the game’s best players would be involved due to it being played across four 10-minute quarters.

“You would normally play a JLT game at that time of year so some teams would leave their best players out, but with a shortened game you might play your more experienced players in one of those games,” he said.

The feedback from the players was also positive and has convinced Joyce that game will take off.

“The boys really liked it,” Joyce added.

“The AFL have done well finding a short form of the product and if we ha d a lot of teams in one venue playing eight or ten games over the course of a day or two with a grand final, it would work.”