ST KILDA list and recruiting manager Tony Elshaug supports every club developing a zone academy, but has stressed any proposal should not compromise the national draft.

The AFL is investigating whether to introduce academies for all clubs around the competition as part of its national review of football at community and second-tier levels.

One concept being explored has been for each club to build an academy to help grow the game at lower levels, as the four northern clubs have done in developing markets.

Elshaug, who has been in charge of the Saints' recruiting for five years and this season took on a promoted role as list manager, said he would back more academies.  

"At the minute we have four clubs that do [have them], so there's no reason why all 18 clubs can't have a zone. But it can't go back to being a 'zone recruiting pool'," Elshaug told AFL.com.au's Road to the Draft podcast.

"The draft is what it is, and it's about evening the competition as best as possible."

Former AFL Commissioner Bill Kelty, who is heading the national review into the game, recently told AFL.com.au the League should examine the worth of zones, but not at the expense of the NAB AFL Draft's purity.

Elshaug said there might be a way for clubs to access and help develop local talent without the draft's status as an equalisation plank being diminished. 

"[We] acknowledge what's happening in the northern states, that's a good thing," Elshaug said.

"For the other 14 clubs [it would be about] what can they do in community football or around football at the lower levels that helps them involve themselves to improve football in the area, but also have a little opportunity on the way through as well as going through the normal draft.

"I think that would be a good thing. How it's set up and how it affects everybody, I'm not quite sure."

Last year the Saints mapped out a blueprint for their rebuild between 2014-18 and has earmarked a return to the top four by 2018.

Part of their plan was to be in the market for free agents in 2016, but Elshaug said the optimism around the Saints meant there was no reason they could not target big-name rivals this off-season.

"We'd like to think we're attractive now," Elshaug said.

"You can feel the vibe within the place, you can see the improvement. Why not now?"