The 10 Victorian-based AFL clubs have been allocated zones in Victoria and the Northern Territory, with Richmond allocated the Bendigo Pioneers and Murray Bushrangers zones to establish academies to attract youngsters from non-traditional football backgrounds to the game.

Richmond will develop AFL academies for boys and girls aged 11-18 that will sit alongside the academy programs introduced by AFL Central Victoria last year.

The academies will be designed around preparing talented youngsters for the Bendigo Pioneers TAC Cup program.

“We’ve known for a few months that this academy was coming, what we didn’t know was which club would be assigned to central Victoria,’’ AFLCV regional general manager Paul Hamilton said.

“We’re really pleased that Richmond has been zoned to us because Richmond has a great history in the multi-cultural and indigenous space.

“We’re looking forward to working closely with Richmond to establish these programs.

“We are at an advantage because we’ve already set up the infrastructure of our own academy programs.

“We work really closely with the Bendigo Pioneers and we’ll sit down with Richmond and the Pioneers to discuss what’s the best way to structure this going forward.

“This has the potential to not just assist us in multi-cultural and indigenous areas, but we could get better resources for all our academies. It gives us the opportunity to get better in everything that we do.”

Richmond’s investment in the Bendigo Pioneers and Murray Bushrangers’ zones could pay dividends for the Tigers in the future.

Richmond will have the opportunity to bid for players from its zone in the AFL National Draft.

"If clubs can help attract and develop some talent that would be under-represented and not normally find its way into the AFL pathway then they will have the ability to receive some incentive for that similar to the bidding system used for the northern academies," AFL football operations manager Mark Evans said.

Next Generation AFL club academies – 

Western Bulldogs – Western Melbourne, Wimmera, Mallee, South West Victoria, Ballarat, (North Ballarat Rebels and Western Jets).

Essendon – North West Melbourne (Calder Cannons), West Arnhem (NT).

Melbourne – South East Melbourne (Dandenong Stingrays), Alice Springs (NT).

Collingwood – Central Melbourne (Oakleigh Chargers), Barkly (NT).

St Kilda – Inner Southern Melbourne (Sandringham Dragons), Frankston LGA.

North Melbourne – Melbourne and Wyndham LGAs (Calder Cannons and Western Jets).

Hawthorn – Eastern/Whitehorse LGAs (Eastern Ranges), Gippsland (Gippsland Power), Katherine (NT).

Carlton – Northern Melbourne (Northern Knights).

Geelong – Geelong /Hampden (Geelong Falcons), East Arnhem (NT).

Richmond – Goulburn Murray, Bendigo, Sunraysia, North Central (Bendigo Pioneers and Murray Bushrangers).