The AFL commission is on the verge of approving further recruiting changes for clubs to their Next Generation Academy that will impact the vast majority of future Indigenous AFL prospects.
The Indigenous teenagers and multicultural recruits of a non-traditional Australian rules background will be accessible to clubs in their zone, similar to the northern academies from clubs in New South Wales and Queensland and all clubs of father/son nominations, according to a report from the AFL's own website.
Clubs had meetings with the AFL during the week on giving feedback over possible changes to the draft value index, pick purchasing, trading picks up to two years in advance and mid-season trading under potential new rules.
The other issue of immediate concern was whether any of these proposals would come into effect this year or next.
It comes after several passionate but combative months of public discussions in the media through the AFL's competitive balance review that has explored multiple suggestions mostly from non-Victorian clubs.
No definitive decision has been relayed to clubs, according to afl.com.au, about whether changes would come in sooner or later for clubs that began their planning last year for this year's AFL draft and the trade period.
The draft value index points system expects to ask clubs to pay a "steeper curve of points" that are attached to selections and a "more condensed value" per pick, the report says, given the current system attaches points to all picks through to No.73.
Clubs have already been banned from arranging points from a large number of late-draft picks following the Western Bulldogs matching a bid from Adelaide for Noongar, Gunditjmara and Djab Wurrun man, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, as the easy grab for the 2020 No.1 selection following that controversial year's draft.
Next Generation Academy players have already been prevented from their clubs matching a pick of a rival side ahead of pick 40. After that pick, the clubs retain their right to draft their Indigenous player unequivocally.
But all of the 18 AFL clubs are expected to want change and greater access to Indigenous players from their academy zone, whether that be fully unrestricted access or a compromise on current conditions after the top 20 picks instead of just the current top 40 set-up.
An all-encompassing bidding system that would apply one set of rules to all three ways in what is believed to be a far fairer system has been considered over time as opposed to separate rules just for Next Generation Academy players.
Father/son players can receive bids and be matched at any stage of the draft without limits, while there are restrictions on the number of northern academy players their clubs can take based on the season-by-season ladder position.
The AFL has declined to make any comment during this week's meetings with clubs, but AFL general manager of operations, Laura Kane, has set a timeline of August before changes are ticked off by the AFL commission.
