AFL boss Andrew Demetriou is confident existing clubs will not have to fend off raids for their best players by the competition's 17th and 18th teams, despite growing fears over draft concessions for new franchises.

Collingwood coach Mick Malthouse joined a building chorus of concern over the introduction of new teams for the Gold Coast and West Sydney, warning the league faced a delicate balancing act to make them competitive without weakening others.

In Perth to brief the city's two AFL clubs and the West Australian Football Commission about the plans to expand the competition, Demetriou said while the concerns had merit, they were also being addressed.

"They are all legitimate (concerns)," Demetriou said.

"And I think it is important that we understand when you are putting a list together, if you take too much talent out of a draft you might actually hurt a club at the bottom of the ladder looking for a good pick.

"What is essential in the discussions the clubs are having is about looking at young players, players who are 15 or 16 at the moment.

"We don't want the new clubs to be raiding clubs of their best players, that is not what we are about, and the clubs know that.

"And I think we will move to (protect against that)"

The proposed recruiting rules would see the Gold Coast granted up to eight of the first 24 selections in 2010 and the first two selections in the pre-season draft, while also having priority access to five Queensland and Northern Territory players.

After Richmond and North Melbourne both went public with their concerns, Malthouse said he did not envy the AFL's task in getting the balance right.

"As a football purist ... it's most important you have a side that is going to be competitive, but not at the expense of other sides in the competition that have worked so hard over a long, long period of time to establish themselves," Malthouse said.

"It's going to be very, very much a fine balancing act by the AFL to get it right."

"In the initial part of it, I just don't know whether we want a very weak side.

"But we also don't want a weakened two or three sides here, in the competition, and I'm saying Melbourne-based sides basically, to enhance the prospects of a Gold Coast side.

"I don't really envy the AFL, they'll be damned if they do and damned if they don't."

Demetriou said coaches would be briefed next week on the proposals, claiming the feedback so far had been positive.

"There has nothing been resolved ... we are trying not to disadvantage any state or any club in fairness. We are trying to do it with as minimal impact as possible, and do it over a two or three year timeline to minimise impact.

"All our clubs are absolutely convinced this is a great opportunity for our code, and they are pleased we are consulting with them."

Meanwhile Demetriou confirmed the AFL had been given the latest results of the survey of drug tests on players conducted in the last six months, with the results to be released in coming weeks.

But he refused to comment on an assertion that the results had shown a slight increase in positive test results.

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