THE issue of tanking will be confronted by the AFL competition for the first time in more than a season later this week, with the league's 16 coaches officially debating whether it has damaged the integrity of the game.

Should the coaches vote that the competition was being hurt by clubs deliberately losing matches to gain early draft picks, , they will pass on their concerns to the AFL in the hope of a remedy.

Recently retired Melbourne coach and coaches' association head Neale Daniher confirmed yesterday that he had placed the debate on Thursday's agenda for the coaches' annual pre-season summit after an airport meeting last Friday with Sydney coach Paul Roos.

"I'm not asking the meeting on Thursday to come up with a solution," Daniher said. "We don't have the time for that and it's not our role. Mind you, I do believe there is a solution for it.

"But we need to decide as an association whether or not the coaches see it as a blight on the integrity of the game and if we do, then we will put forward our thoughts to the AFL. After that, it's up to them.

"We believe it is worth addressing. You have to ask the question how does Roosy find himself the subject of an investigation after other teams are clearly doing it during the season proper."

The most recent AFL Commission meeting did not see the issue worthy of being an agenda item while players' association chief executive, Brendon Gale, said yesterday he did not believe the tanking debate was one for the footballers' governing body.

The coaches also will debate the merits of awarding premiership points to future champion sides of the pre-season competition, although Daniher said he personally would oppose such a move.

Daniher debunked the sentiment expressed by critics of the NAB Cup and supported the competition's format. "I think what we've got to keep in perspective with all this is that it is a preparation competition and from that point of view, I think it serves its purpose," he said.

"There will be a number of issues I'll be putting to the senior coaches for a show of hands to indicate to me where they stand on it all. We'll ask them do they support it (the NAB Cup) as a competition and whether they will continue to support it because there has been a lot of debate and a lot of discussion.

"I think the fans really enjoy it, I generally think the players enjoy it, especially the young players, but I'd like to get a view from the coaches, now that the competition's over and we're in the clear light of day, on what they think of the competition."