THE AFL should consider a home-and-away season test for the new policy of playing extra time after a Grand Final draw, former Collingwood fitness expert David Buttifant says.

Buttifant was a key figure in helping the Magpies to prevail in two finals that ended in draws during normal playing time.

In the 2007 semi-final against West Coast, extra time was played and Collingwood won by 19 points after five minutes at either end, while Collingwood defeated St Kilda in the 2010 Grand Final replay, the last Grand Final replay ever.

"It makes sense to do it during the year because clubs get to have a look at how they go from a strategic point of view," Buttifant told AFL.com.au.

On Tuesday the AFL announced it would play extra time to decide the Grand Final, bringing the rules in line with those in place for other finals.

However, the League will maintain the sharing of points for drawn matches in the home-and-away rounds. 

That decision has sparked debate on whether the extra-time rule should be extended to normal season games, consigning the draw to history.

The Magpies lost a thrilling 2007 preliminary final six days after playing extra time in Perth, with Buttifant the right hand man beside coach Mick Malthouse on the sidelines.

Buttifant believes the extra load and the travel may have had some effect on some performance the next week, but he said players would be able to cope with an extra 10 minutes during the home-and-away season.

He noted there were already different turnaround times between games, with teams often coming off six-day breaks and meeting teams that had enjoyed seven-or eight-day breaks.

Buttifant, who was Carlton's fitness coach in 2014 and 2015, said many variables could influence the load on a player from week to week, such as how tough the game was, its length, the weather in which it was played and injuries to key players.

"The interesting thing is how you manage them throughout the week," he said.

There have been just 156 drawn games since 1897 (including the two finals that went to extra-time) and nine drawn matches since the 2010 Grand Final.

Recalling the 2007 semi-final that ended in a draw, Buttifant said it had been vital to make a rapid assessment of the team's health and what each individual could offer in the 10 minutes of extra time.

"Ultimately it is about having your best players in the most prominent positions ready to go and influence the game," he said. 

"If the players aren't right you have to identify it. They have to be totally honest with where they are at, and then you have to make an assessment based on who will give the team the greatest productivity."

Despite his experience he said it would still be compelling to see what teams did if forced to play extra time during the finals.

"The coaching strategy will be really interesting if it happens," Buttifant said.

"How do you form your team up? Do you line them up offensively?"