NGAs are basically fine the way they are now.
The point of northern club academies is to pull in kids who wouldn’t have played footy. They’re largely effective for that purpose, though sometimes the eligibility criteria feel a little generous. Previously the AFL ran northern academies which basically failed, now the club academies basically work. They’re going nowhere.
But also, they’re not about equalisation and never were. They have a side benefit for the afl of making the northern clubs stronger which is theoretically better for growing the game up there. (Though how much have Storm’s successes helped grow that game down here?)
