The AFL Commission has approved the key recommendations of a combined AFL and AFLPA working party to amend the competition's draft and trading rules ahead of the introduction of the proposed 17th and 18th clubs, but no agreement was achieved on the issue of free agency.

The working party presented its recommendations to the Commission's regular meeting in Melbourne on Tuesday and these were approved and communicated to the 16 AFL clubs on Wednesday.

The key changes are:

* The removal of the rules restricting clubs to a maximum of five players traded out in a single year, and the maximum of three players involved in a single player-trade which will apply immediately for the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

* A player who is not contracted on or before October 31 will now be eligible to nominate for that year's National Draft. This applies immediately from the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

* The eligibility age for the National Draft will increase by four months, so that the player must turn 18 or on before December 31 in the year of that Draft. This will not apply until the 2009 NAB AFL Draft.

* Players who have not yet made their AFL debut, but may previously have been on a senior or rookie list, will now be eligible to be listed as mature-age rookies. This will apply immediately for the 2008 NAB AFL Draft.

AFL operations manager Adrian Anderson said it was agreed the AFL and the AFLPA should continue to examine the concept of free agency together with changes to the veteran's list rules with a view to reaching an agreement by December 31 this year.

"The AFL and the AFLPA have discussed the issue of 'free agency' at length and the parties could not agree on a model of 'free agency' submitted by the AFLPA," Anderson said.

"The AFL and the AFLPA will continue to meet on this issue."

The working party decided against recommending any changes to the timing or number of drafts.

Anderson said the aim was to ensure that players had adequate opportunity to move clubs while retaining the integrity of the draft and salary cap.

"The removal of the cap on players that can be traded by a club or who can be involved in a single trade is hoped to provide opportunities for players to pursue positions at other clubs," Anderson said.

"Clubs also now have the opportunity to draft mature age rookies who may have been on a list before, provided they have not played a senior game."

"We hope this will provide a second chance for some players who are late developers," he said.

"A player must also now be contracted by his club by October 31, if that club wishes to retain him."

"If the player is not contracted by October 31, he has the option to delist himself and enter the National Draft and/or the Pre Season Draft."

"This increases the options available to players who cannot reach agreement with their clubs."

Previously, a player was prevented from entering the National Draft if he was still listed by his club, but out of contract.

This meant that players were not able to to enter the National Draft and secure a position with clubs before the pre-season draft, where fewer selections are available.

According to the league the change to the player drafting age, to come into force after the 2009