The review will focus in on the Bendigo, Heathcote District and Loddon Valley leagues, with a key objective to "maximise participation for this age group where the risk of drop out is high".

Announced this week by AFLCV, clubs are being asked to vote on three options put forward that have the capacity for a major under-18s shake-up in the region from next year or for the status quo to remain the same.

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It's the second "third tier competition" review undertaken in three years by AFLCV - the last being in 2019 when the purpose was to "examine the current age group of the oldest underage competition in each of the senior leagues and recommend the optimal age group for season 2020 and beyond".

That 2019 review resulted in no change to age groups - although the HDFNL later changed from under-17s to under-18s post the COVID-abandoned 2020 season - but this 2022 review is honing in on competition structures and putting on the table for discussion the prospect for significant change given two of the three options presented:

OPTION A - continue with the existing model (BFNL, HDFNL and LVFNL each offer an under-18 competition).

OPTION B - all BFNL clubs continue to participate in a BFNL competition. In addition a Central Victoria Football League under-18 competition is available for all other clubs to compete within.

OPTION C - two CVFL under-18 competitions are available for all clubs to compete within. The competitions would be split based on the ability of the teams (i.e. division 1 and division 2).

Clubs have until next Wednesday to provide AFLCV with their preferred options.

This review comes in the early months of Craig Armstead having taken over the position of AFL Central Victoria regional manager last December.

"This is something we've been talking about as a commission in terms of what does the under-18s model look like going forward," Armstead this week.

"The commission is really open to what the clubs come back with and strategically, this would be the most important piece of work undertaken since I've been in the role from December.

"I'm concerned about the current structure of the under-18 competitions and how sustainable they are moving forward.

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"If you look at the fact we've got 19 clubs playing under-16s in the Bendigo Junior Football League and 28 senior clubs that are all trying to field under-18 teams, the pure maths says that's an issue.

"We know between 16 and 18 it tends to be an age group where you lose players rather than kids start playing, so that at a macro level says it's not sustainable and then you see what has happened in the Loddon Valley league."

The Loddon Valley league's under-18 competition, which changed from under-17s in 2015, has been decimated in recent years to the point there are now just three clubs fielding teams this season - Marong, Bridgewater and Inglewood.

There is also a fourth composite team, East Loddon, which is made up primarily of players who go to the East Loddon P-12 College, which serves the towns of Dingee, Mitiamo, Raywood, Serpentine and surrounding areas.

As expected given the plight the LVFNL is facing with its severe shortage of under-18 teams, the third tier review has been warmly welcomed by league chairman Simon Tuohey.

"Absolutely we welcome it... let's get something on the table and talk about it," Tuohey said this week.

"It's all about maximising participation and if there's a model that can be put forward to get as many kids as we can playing then let's look at it.

"One of the models already exists in the Geelong area, so we wouldn't be re-inventing the wheel on that front."

That model Tuohey is referencing would be based on Option C where AFL Barwon runs a three division under-18 competition that involves clubs from its three leagues - Geelong, Geelong District and Bellarine.

Division one (Gforce Cup) features 12 teams, division two (Bendigo Bank Cup) seven teams and division three (Corio Bay Health Group Cup) six teams.

With that though comes the prospect of under-18 teams having to play away from the rest of their club at times during the year in what is already a scenario being experienced in the LVFNL this year.

While the LVFNL is in strong support of the third-tier review and the potential for change, Heathcote District league chairman Peter Cole says his nine clubs have made it blatantly clear they are vehemently opposed to anything but Option A - leave the structure as is.

"Our clubs have already decided - it's unanimous to leave it as is," Cole said.

"Our main aim this year after the past couple of tough years was just to field sides and we've been able to do that with all nine clubs.

"We've only missed out on one under-18 game so far and that was when Heathcote was hit hard by COVID and couldn't get the numbers to play Lockington.

"Any change could kill us in time because we've got quite a number of kids coming out to Mounts, Elmore, Heathcote, Colbinabbin and so forth from Bendigo to play footy, but they wouldn't have to any more - they could just stay in Bendigo and play in a second Golden Square or Sandhurst side for example."

AFLCV stated in its communication with clubs this week that under Option B clubs, including BFNL, could enter a second team in the CVFL competition if they had sufficient numbers.

For the first time since 2016 the BFNL this year has a full quota of 10 under-18 teams following the re-emergence of the Maryborough thirds.

However, it was only four years ago in 2018 that the league had just eight under-18 teams with both Maryborough and Castlemaine unable to field a side due to a shortage of numbers, which in turn led to a league review of the competition.

"For us we think under-18s is really important and having a full complement of teams this year is a big step forward. Not having every club with an under-18 team has been a concern for us," BFNL chair Carol McKinstry said.

"Certainly we'd encourage our clubs to participate in this review, but we probably aren't going in with any set agenda.

"While from time-to-time we have clubs asking should we look at going to under-19s, at the moment we probably don't see there's any great need for change."

Armstead indicated the club responses would be tabled at an upcoming commission meeting in mid-June before deciding on a course of action during July.

Among the under-18 data collated by AFLCV in commissioning the review includes 19 per cent of games across the BFNL, HDFNL and LVFNL this year having teams with less than 18 players; 42 per cent of players in the LVFNL and 25 per cent in the HDFNL are playing on permits; while across the three competitions 48 per cent of games have had margins over 10 goals.

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