AFL CLUB presidents have fired back at Jeff Kennett's comments on international expansion as "poor taste" at Wednesday's pre-season briefing.

The annual meeting with club leaders at Etihad Stadium brought heated discussion towards the Hawthorn president.

Gold Coast chairman Tony Cochrane said Kennett's take on the growth into markets like China and India was a sore point among his counterparts. 

"Quite a few presidents felt the need to reprimand Jeff over his comments," Cochrane told AFL.com.au.  

"It doesn't gain anything by having pot shots at AFL clubs.

"There was a collective feeling around the table they were in poor taste.

"They're not in the spirit of the competition, where it is now and where it wants to head."

It is believed St Kilda, with its interest in pursuing the New Zealand market, joined Gold Coast and Port Adelaide as three of the most vocal clubs towards Kennett.

Kennett on Tuesday blasted the competition's growth into international countries as "an absolute waste of time and money."

"My job — the board's job — is to play the game seriously in the environment in which it lives. It will never live in China and it will never live in India," he told SEN. 

"The AFL should be focused on what it does well and why it was established and that's to oversee the operation of the code in Australia.”

Club bosses and presidents were split in their meetings with League officials, with key briefings coming from AFL CEO Gillon McLachlan and football operations boss Steve Hocking. 

Kennett has been contacted for comment.