Rival AFL clubs have long hoped the AFL would reduce the size of the Giants' recruiting area and almost had their wish granted last year when it appeared that Albury and Murray were set to be culled from the GWS academy zone.

But the AFL appears to have changed its mind with modifications to the draft bidding system around academy selections now looming as a more likely possibility with equalisation still a major agenda item for the league.

The Giants invest up to $800,000 per year into their academy program, with their recruiting zone including western Sydney, Hawkesbury, the Riverina, all of southern NSW along the Victorian border, and the west of the state. The Sydney Swans meanwhile occupy the rest of Sydney including Sutherland, Newcastle, the Hunter Valley and north-east NSW.

GWS chief executive Dave Matthews said a stronger Giants academy meant a stronger playing pool across the AFL.

"Surely Victorian clubs could see that the more NSW players that we list, the deeper the pool is for the game, essentially freeing up Victorian players that they might select," Matthews said.

"It's one of the most important strategies that the AFL's ever undertaken in NSW, the ACT and Queensland, it's just critical to the growth of this game that more talent comes out of the northern states.

"Last year the Giants Academy produced 11 players for the national competition and we listed five or six. We're creating players for all 18 clubs.

"The players we're taking we're listing at fair value based on a bidding system."

The Giants landed three of their academy stars in the top 20 of last year's national draft to go with their second overall selection, Tim Taranto who was recruited from Victoria.

That required matching rival bids by using up lower round draft picks, as clubs are allowed to do when their academy products are selected by another club. Will Setterfield, Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming were all drafted in this fashion.

Under strong consideration by the AFL is a system where top four clubs would only be allowed access to one academy player in the first 20 picks of the draft. Clubs who finish in the bottom half of the top eight would have access to two such players while those who miss out on finals could approach the draft unrestricted.

"We talked to them [the AFL Commission] about why don't you leave the regions the way they are but if you do need to make an adjustment, why don't you potentially make it based on ladder position," Matthews said.

"Our position with the AFL has generally been leave things alone, just let it settle. Rarely would you see an organisation with a strategy that's working so well keep tinkering with it but I understand too that they've got to have a look at it from an equalisation perspective.

"We think they've got the balance pretty right. We haven't actually won a premiership, we haven't won the grand final. We get talked about like we're a powerhouse of the competition, we aim to be but we're a fair way off it at the moment and we've got a lot of work to do."

Meanwhile the Giants are closing in on 16,000 members and have already surpassed last year's record tally of 15,311.

Matthews said the aim was to hit up to 40,000 within five years.