If the AFL had their way, Patrick Mills would be running around in a Sydney Swans jumper rather than in the NBA in a Portland Trailblazers uniform.

But the lack of a suitable academy system in Canberra led the talented young footballer to instead stick with the world-renowned basketball program at the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS), which produced the likes of Andrew Bogut, Luc Longley and Lauren Jackson.

The AFL have now hit back, announcing on Thursday the introduction of new academies in NSW and Queensland designed to provide a direct path for talented youngsters and convince them to stick with Aussie Rules.

While all AFL clubs will have an opportunity to gain players from the academies, they are specifically linked to the Swans and Brisbane Lions, plus the expansion teams on the Gold Coast and Western Sydney.

Similar to the father-son rule, those four clubs will have first choice of the players on offer from their particular region before the remaining AFL teams can get involved.

Asked about any previous missed opportunities without an academy program, Swans chief executive Andrew Ireland said: "It was something that really came home to us about four years ago with Patrick Mills.

"Patrick actually won the best player award at a junior carnival playing Australian football and at that stage we'd identified him as being a talented young player.

"But the reality was without a club like the Swans who would've chased him hard, to us it was much harder for AFL Canberra to convince him to choose AFL football in front of basketball at the AIS.

"That's a classic example of a quality sportsman who made a decision and it was about the program in front of them."

Mills went from the AIS to St Mary's College in California before representing Australia at the Beijing Olympics and being drafted in the second round of this year's NBA draft by Portland.

The AFL want to ensure no other highly-rated youngsters slip through their fingers.

"One thing that's been continually frustrating as a football club is the ability to talk kids into playing AFL football," Swans coach Paul Roos said.

"There hasn't been a vehicle.

"Not only elite athletes but young AFL footballers, some of those kids get dragged away to rugby through the schools or soccer or whatever it might be.

"(These academies are) a significant thing to be able to present to young families."

The AFL have often been lauded for their youth programs and regularly snare some of the best young athletes around, but not in NSW or Queensland.

The two states combined provide just 11 per cent of the total players currently on AFL lists.

"The bottom line is it gives kids in NSW and the ACT the opportunity to play for the two clubs that will be based in this state," AFL NSW/ACT general manager Dale Holmes said.

"We've done a lot in trying to grow participation in the 25 years since the Swans have been up here and seen a lot of growth in attendances and viewerships, but in the area of talent we've still got a while to go."

Brought to you by AAP © 2024 AAP