Putting aside where a player grew up, I think it’s actually more about club preferences than state preferences:There are quite a few SA & WA kids who have been traded from the QLD & NSW clubs to Victorian clubs. Victoria just has so much more to offer in off-field opportunities, not to mention being the "home of football", and everything else.
I'd suggest SA would be the least attractive state as far as young gun footballers are concerned. Vic is #1, followed by WA & QLD, then NSW, with SA a distant last. Not sure where Tas will fit into that strata, probably alongside or slightly below SA.
1.Geelong/Collingwood/Sydney
2.Richmond/Carlton/Essendon/Brisbane
3.All other Vic clubs except North
4.All SA/WA clubs
5.GC/GWS/North/Tas