The AFL has tweaked the zones for its controversial Next Generation Academy system, such that Jamarra Ugle-Hagan would’ve gone to Geelong with the No.1 pick instead.

Tasmania’s looming entry forced the league to re-work which areas of Victoria are allocated to each Victorian club for the purposes of assigning young, multicultural talent.

The NGA system sees players with Indigenous and multicultural backgrounds assigned to different clubs based on where they live.

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These clubs run programs to increase participation in under-represented areas of society and they are rewarded with priority access to draftable players, being able to match bids for them on draft night.

Many have been criticial of the system with Fox Footy’s Gerard Healy describing it last month as a “flawed rort”.

Most notably the Western Bulldogs landed Jamarra Ugle-Hagan with Pick 1 in the 2020 Draft under NGA rules because their region, at the time, included Warrnambool in western Victoria.

In last week’s draft Essendon had access to No.25 pick Adam Sweid but chose not to match Fremantle’s bid.

In future, a player in Ugle-Hagan’s place would be eligible for Geelong instead, after the western Victoria region was given to the Cats according to AFL Media.

Other key changes include:

– North Melbourne loses Tasmania and the Carlton postcode but gains the Northern Victoria corridor (Wallan, Seymour, Echuca);

– Melbourne loses the Mornington Peninsula to St Kilda;

– Richmond gains eastern and south-east Melbourne metro areas around the Monash Council region and Rowville, from Hawthorn;

– Collingwood gains the north-east Victoria metro region (Yarra Junior Football League area);

– Adelaide and Port Adelaide gain areas not currently assigned to them in South Australia, with the APY Lands going to the Crows, and towns like Cooper Pedy going to the Power.

The new metro Next Generation Academy zones.Source: FOX SPORTSThe new regional Next Generation Academy zones.Source: FOX SPORTS

The new zones will be in place from 2028 onwards, meaning the next two drafts will still use the existing zones, with the exception of Tasmania who gain access to their state from 2027.