THE AFL is open to looking at different draft models as a way to help battling clubs rejuvenate quicker, according to football operations manager Mark Evans.

With concerns about the Brisbane Lions' ability to regenerate their list after seven years without playing a final, debate has resurfaced about whether the club deserves a priority pick.

AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan said on Tuesday he expected the Lions would apply for such assistance.

Evans said the AFL would prefer to investigate structures for helping clubs rebound outside the old priority pick system, which was scrapped in 2012.

"I think we would like to consider how you could get clubs to rejuvenate quicker than the current system, but there are dangers with the priority pick system we had – that's why we took it out," Evans told 3AW radio on Tuesday night.

"Now it is [awarded through] an application to the Commission, and I think it'll be very rarely implemented.

"So there is a possibility of looking at different drafting models."

Before 2012, teams received a priority pick if they had five wins or fewer during the season.

Melbourne, the Lions and Carlton have all applied for assistance in recent seasons, but the AFL's general counsel, Andrew Dillon, and Evans have recommended to the Commission that their bids be denied.

Evans said he remained committed in principle to the first round of the NAB AFL Draft having all clubs represented in reverse ladder order, but there could be room for assistance to clubs in later rounds.

"I think there is something worth looking at, as to whether there is an extra pick somewhere for either sides not in the finals or maybe repeated not in finals," he said.

Meanwhile, the League's football boss ruled out any reduction to the interchange cap of 90 in 2017.

Evans also said free agency would need to be monitored as it was not having the desired impact on equalisation.

"I think we say that the draft and the salary cap is a great equaliser, and we've added in free agency, which doesn't seem to have the same equalising effect," he said.