BRISBANE co-captain Lachie Neale has encouraged the AFL to steer clear of early season midday starts in Queensland after enduring Sunday's "extreme" conditions against West Coast at the Gabba.

The 12.10pm start coincided with high heat and humidity that left players strewn across the field at three quarter-time and an inordinate number suffering from cramps, while players also wore ice vests during breaks.

The AFL's heat policy was enacted for the game, with longer quarter breaks and extra water carriers available.

Neale, speaking on Tuesday, "pulled up quite well" from the 19-point win, but suggested a change in fixturing would be better in the future.

"(It's) probably not great to put a game on at 12 o'clock in Queensland in March," he said.

"In a couple of months, that'd be fine. But early on in the season, I'd probably change the time for that game, even two or three hours later would have been better."

Neale described the humidity as extreme, particularly after early morning rain in Queensland's capital had subsided.

"It was hot and humid and I'm sure we'll have some sore boys and some guys that are a little lethargic early in the week," he said.

The hot early-season conditions have not been isolated to Brisbane, with the AFL's heat policy enacted in some form for eight games in the first two full rounds of the season; three in Victoria, two in Perth and one each in Brisbane, Sydney and Adelaide. 

On Sunday, Brisbane coach Chris Fagan had immediate concerns for his players post-match, saying the premier would not be training much this week as they prepare to face Geelong off a six-day break.

"I don't know the reasoning (for the start time), but I think it's pretty tough on players," Fagan said.

"You'd need to ask the AFL about it. I don't think I've been involved in a game that's started at 12 o'clock, ever. That's 20-odd years, so (it's) unusual.

"They were pretty cooked, and you could tell just walking out on to the ground after – probably a record number of cramps.

"I haven't seen that many of our blokes struggle like that."

Gold Coast will host Adelaide in round four at People First Stadium with a start time of 12.20pm.

AFL.com.au's chief football correspondent, Damian Barrett, this week said he expected the AFL Players' Association to get involved.

"This is a welfare issue. People might say 'harden up' when we see Liam Baker there with an ice jacket on ... but this has been a narrative for the best part of 30 seasons at the Gabba," Barrett said on AFL.com.au's Access.

"I remember Marcus Ashcroft, who at the time was probably the fittest player in the competition, losing six kilograms of weight in one game in the same afternoon time frame.

"This is an AFL Players Association matter and I think they should get involved in it.

"No one in this day and age makes big comments publicly, but there was some concern about what those players were subjected to from both sides."