A raft of recommendations to reform Next Generation academies that focuses on fostering Indigenous players into clubs could be announced next month.

A proposal is being considered to remove the draft restrictions on academy talent that could mean the ability of clubs who put the work into developing young players to draft their own academy products is curtailed.

The recommendations put to the commission last year included that clubs be forced to commit for more than one year to category B rookies, that could include Indigenous players, to redress radical funding cuts to the Next Generation academies from 2020.

While the AFL's northern academies for Sydney, Greater Western Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast all receive annual AFL funding of around $600,000 respectively, the academies designed to attract Indigenous as well as multicultural teens with no Australian rules background each receive a paltry $60,000 each.

Their funding was halved from $120,000 for each club during the AFL's pandemic cuts.

"Aboriginal players have made such a big contribution to our game, but there just has been a disconnect from the pathway to the elite," AFL executive general manager, Laura Kane, told Nine media.

"It's going to take a lot of time. It can't be fixed overnight, but we will fix it."

The AFL believes the vast majority of the competition and its clubs had overreacted in asking to toughen up rules to the Next Generation academy after Western Bulldogs were able to snare academy star Jamarra Ugle-Hagan with the first selection of the 2020 draft.

A number of Victorian clubs have complained to the AFL over the past five seasons over the mechanisms behind the points system that has allegedly given the four northern academies an unfair advantage.

The arguments among clubs has culminated this month over the AFL's proposed changes that could be brought in as soon as this year.

Both Sydney and Gold Coast has lead the chorus against any new changes that will affect both clubs that is expected to be confirmed next week.

The current system came into question following Gold Coast's four-fold academy haul in the early round of picks last year and the ease of the process for little cost to the Suns.

Sydney Swans chief executive Tom Harley labelled the AFL draft's bidding process as "absolutely adequate" amid debate around possible changes coming as soon as this year.

"I think the academies are the most important game development initiative for the growth of the game, certainly here in Sydney and also in Queensland," he said on Wednesday during a club press conference.

"The reality is the current bidding process … I think is absolutely adequate.

"The facts remain we have got 25 per cent of our playing list from NSW, which means 75 per cent aren't.

"The Academy has been going for 14 years and we've had over 5,000 boys and girls — only 24 have been."

Harley calculated that only 0.1 per cent players taking up the game in NSW succeeded at the elite AFL level.

Sydney currently has three Indigenous players on their list; Cooper Vickery from Victoria's Talent League under-18s side Gippsland Power, father/son Indhi Kirk from Sydney's Academy via UNSW/East Sydney, and Western Bulldogs 2016 premiership player Joel Hambling following a stint at Fremantle.

Harley was opposed to moving the goalposts in response to how the Suns maneuvered their way last November.

"To make a snap judgement off of the four Gold Coast players, which is what it feels like, I think would be really folly," Harley said.

"I take a different view; I'll celebrate the fact that the Suns had a really strong academy haul.

"And certainly, the (Sydney) club's point of view from what we do, and the time and energy that we invest into growing the game, I think, is recognised and it needs to continue to be recognised."

Gold Coast boss Mark Evans said the AFL should be considering a change in direction from suggestions from rival clubs that have a vested interest in change.

The Suns chief executive said the AFL should abandon the restrictions but ensure Victoria's 10 clubs are unable to bid on Gold Coast's Next Generation Academy talent in the first 40 selections of the draft.

At present the four clubs north of the Murray River can take their northern states academy talent at any pick.

But there are restrictions that a club, which qualifies for finals, can only take two picks from its academy

The Suns are yet to play AFL finals – hence why they were able to take the unlimited number of players from their own academy last year.

Evans believed the AFL in fact should be incentivising all academy talent after changing the rules over Jamarra Ugle-Hagan's early recruiting.

"Our view on academies is we think the easier solution is for the AFL to widen and improve what it does for access to NGA academies rather than make it more difficult for the northern academies," Evans told NewsCorp last week.

"There is a fair argument to treat father sons and NGAs the same. Our primary position is this can be solved by opening up NGA player acquisition rather than diminishing the chances for northern academy players to be drafted to their hometown.

"You have to understand why the academies were there in the first place. The next generation academies are there to promote Indigenous and multicultural talent.

"The northern academies are there to grow the game in those markets and also service the players and families to promote a higher level of involvement in the code. We shouldn't do anything to diminish that.

"There are already protections in terms of the number of players, who can be matched as academy talent."

No club is succeeding more from the AFL academy system in acquiring Indigenous talent than Gold Coast in recent years.

The Suns have Joel Jeffrey from NTFL club Wanderers, Lloyd Johnston from Borroloola in the Northern Territory via the Suns academy, Sean Lemmens from Port Adelaide Magpies, Jy Farrar from Halls Creek via Adelaide's SANFL side and Malcolm Rosas from NTFL club Darwin Buffaloes, in addition to veteran Ben Long from St Kilda.

Potential changes being floated by list bosses include clubs being allowed to match bids for Next Generation Academy players after the 20th pick, rather than after the 40th pick, and/or even no limitation like there was in the 2020 draft of Noongar, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrun man Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.