THE FANS may dislike it, but the current bye system is here to stay, the AFL says.

In previous seasons, the bye rounds were spread over three weeks, but in 2017 they were fixtured over four rounds with Port Adelaide and Gold Coast involved in the inaugural China clash in Shanghai.

With every club now having had a mid-season weekend off, AFL football operations manager Simon Lethlean told SEN the breaks had been a success and had given the game much-needed time to recharge its batteries for the second half of the season.

"I think (they worked) absolutely from the playing, coaching and staff point (of view.) They need a break," Lethlean said.

"That's universally understood, and they get a four-day freshen-up, the players.

"They probably get a chance to reconnect with family and friends and have a bit of a breather, so I think it's pretty important.

"People don't love byes from a fan point of view, but we need to have them for a break (and) a recharge for the whole industry.

"They're not going anywhere."

While he conceded that the AFL could potentially finesse the system, Lethlean said the bye rounds also allowed the AFL to fixture more Thursday night games, which were ratings winners for broadcasters.