THE AFL will make a call on whether it retains the pre-finals bye in 2017 in the coming weeks after receiving positive feedback at a meeting of club presidents on Monday. 

The bye has been debated after both teams that won qualifying finals and earned a week off – Greater Western Sydney and Geelong – failed to make the Grand Final.

The week off during September combined with the pre-finals bye gave both teams two weeks off in a three-week period, but coaches Chris Scott and Leon Cameron were not willing to blame the unique preparation for their teams' finals exits.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said there had been positive feedback about the bye because of the finals anticipation it built and the standard of football it had helped create.  

"We had a chat with the presidents today (and) we all feel the bye has gone pretty well … a lot of people were sceptical and now like it," McLachlan told 3AW.    

"We'll make a call on that in the next few weeks. 

"The players got freshened up and the standard of footy has been great.

"It's clear that without the bye the Bulldogs wouldn't be in the Grand Final and that's an upside … they deserve it."

Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said at the weekend the bye "dissipates" the advantage of finishing in the top four and was even a "potential negative" if you play only one game in 27 days. 

He said the AFL would have to look at the formula, but McLachlan said Lyon had himself contributed to the League implementing the extra week off after round 23. 

"He historically, both at St Kilda and Fremantle when he finished top four, dropped and rested all his players to get the exact construct of this week," McLachlan said.

"So I need to ask him about that."

There has also been speculation that the AFL could move the Brownlow Medal count to the bye week in future years. 

McLachlan said he was a fan of the traditional timeslot at the start of Grand Final week.  

"I could see how it then would then make that whole bye week if we had the Brownlow and everyone there," he said.   

"But I quite like where it is, starting Grand Final week and people come down for the whole week. 

"A lot of people like where it is."