Only a handful have come out of Sydney, then it’s pretty much Harris Andrews and Heeney from Brisbane and regional NSW above the Barassi line.Because the AFL know they can't run development pathways as successfully as the clubs can. They did this prior to the northern academies being established and it didn't work. Remember the NSW Scholarship program? What about when Queensland used to compete in the TAC Cup? The AFL tried to make it happen and failed time and time again. The academies linked with the clubs has been, by far, the most successful model in that regard.
And Sydney produced the likes of Lenny Hayes, Jarrad McVeigh, Kieran Jack types.
The biggest boom was when the Giants got the NSW Riverina and really that was just resourcing an under resourced footy area.
Similar Gold Coast have ever increasing success but the area is a huge footy area now.
It’s talent in + genuine investment of dollars. The club model helps with the reputation for the kids but it’s not afl clubs working some kind of magical development.
The scholarship program wasn’t proper investment. You could make a NSW academy and QLD academy and resource them with the current facilities (some of which would probably have to be at AFL clubs) and staff quality and get similar results.