THE ERA of recruiting zones could be revisited under a plan being pushed by club officials that would see every club have priority access to its own academy.



As the AFL continues to review the best talent pathway for draft prospects, the renewed calls have come during a review of the second-tier competitions, which is being headed by former AFL Commissioner Bill Kelty.



The talent pathway is one of the key areas under inspection, and it is understood club officials meeting with the League have raised the concept of dividing regions across the country into recruiting zones.



Under the idea, the zones would then allow each club to develop an academy similar to that housed by the four northern clubs. Clubs would also have first rights over selecting players who have been developed within their respective regions.



The proposal has been floated in the context of building a national under-18 competition, which would see an AFL club in Victoria directly linked to a local TAC Cup club.



For instance, Essendon's hold on the northwest region of Melbourne could see it tied to the Calder Cannons' TAC Cup club.



Under that idea, the Bombers would have the first call on Cannons players come draft time in the same bidding process for father-son and northern academy players that was confirmed by the League on Thursday.



The AFL continues to look at ways to close the gap between the junior competitions and the top level, with many clubs suggesting first-year players were finding it tough to transition into club land once drafted.



At last year's talent forum for clubs, officials and state bodies, a similar idea was raised to split the remote Western Australian regions, such as the Kimberley, into Indigenous academies for West Coast and Fremantle.



The response at that stage was not overly supportive, but Kelty has stated he is open to ideas and opinions during their review.



The proposal has not developed into a recommendation or model, with a League discussion paper yet to be formulated.



The success of the new bidding system in providing a more equitable result for clubs may also influence whether there is merit in exploring the idea further.



Western Bulldogs president Peter Gordon said he was aware of the discussion point but would wait to hear Kelty's detailed thoughts before supporting it.



Gordon said in some ways it represented "a step back in time" to when all clubs' recruiting operated within zones.



He also suggested it would be difficult to fairly associate different zones to each club and that it shouldn't disadvantage the northern states, where there is less participation in the code.



But Gordon did admit the Bulldogs would have "loved" to draft Western Jets local Liam Duggan last year, who the West Coast Eagles picked at No.11.



"The system needs to be fair to everyone, and one would need to be convinced the developing states were not discriminated against by such a system," Gordon told AFL.com.au.



"Having said that, I would really have loved to have picked up Liam Duggan for the Bulldogs last year.



"He came from our local area, he was a Bulldogs supporter since he was a kid, he wanted to be drafted by the Western Bulldogs, he trained with the club and now he's playing in Perth.



"For a club like ours which is really trying to develop its roots in the broader Western region of Melbourne, the club has missed out on an opportunity for a kid who comes from the region to become an icon of the club, the region and a real role model to young kids playing in the western suburbs of Melbourne."