However, with the growth in the strength of the northern academies, the division two carnival was changed to a five-round competition between the four academy clubs (Brisbane Lions, Gold Coast Suns, Greater Western Sydney Giants, Sydney Swans), Tasmania and the Northern Territory.
The AFL believed the developing depth in Queensland and NSW-ACT had made the division two carnival uneven in recent years, with a gap growing between those states and Tasmania and the NT.
Also, the academy-based format allowed more players in the northern clubs' under-18 systems to impress at a higher level.
This was designed to give the best prospects from those regions the opportunity to play at a national level in the division one carnival, which took place after the academy series was finished.
[1] Vic Metro won the division one title for the second year in a row,[2] with Western Australian, Oscar Allen winning the Larke Medal as the division one best player.