North Melbourne Players Trial Brand New Footy Format

(Image: Getty)

The AFL has taken testing of their brand new football format - AFL X - to Arden St.

North Melbourne players tested the new seven-a-side format on a rectangular field at Arden St last week, according to a report in The Age.

AFL X has been floated as a brand new way to innovate football and stretch the football season into the summer, like what cricket has achieved with the Big Bash League.

AFL general manager of game and development Simon Lethlean said the format was being floated for international and exhibition matches.

"We are looking to put on an exhibition game at least – the guys are working pretty hard on that," he told Fairfax Media.

"It's a great fun, fast form of the game that we think might have some legs in varying forms, for past and present players, maybe an exhibition game, maybe in the week off here to have an exhibition game. Something different might be good."

Lethlean expanded on the trial that took place at North Melbourne.

"We played six quarters with 30 players [at Arden St], teams of 10, seven on the ground – that's just a new form of the game we are looking at for international and here, for exhibition games," he said.

"That's progressing now. We will review the vision and the GPS of that trial and keep developing it. But it's certainly on our radar to develop that game properly and put it on somewhere."

AFL X sees just seven players from each side compete on a rectangular field, with one umpire and no centre bounces.

The result is seemingly a high-intensity, fast-paced, short game of football, which could appeal to new or niche markets.