The Carlton Football Club welcomes the AFL’s recent re-zoning of Next Generation Academy boundaries and is excited to receive a regional zone for the first time in the Club’s history.  

Carlton has inherited a significant regional area that encompasses rich football towns such as Shepparton, Wodonga, Wangaratta, Yarrawonga, Euroa, Benalla, Mansfield and Bright. 

The suburb of Carlton will also return to its roots, with the Club now have access to talent within the Carlton radius.  

The recent announcement provides an incredible opportunity for the Club to help grow the game and work closely with key stakeholders in the area including the Murray Bushrangers.  

The Blues have made a significant investment into their Carlton Academy, which continues to grow as the Clubs pursues elite talent outcomes both in Melbourne and now in our new regional zone.  

The benefits of this investment have been prominent of late with Harry Dean, Lucas and Ben Camporeale, Sophie McKay, Meg Robertson and Jack Ison all graduating from the Academy onto Carlton senior AFL and AFLW playing lists. 

Father/son Dean was recently drafted from the Murray Bushrangers, while Ison recently became the Club’s first indigenous Next Generation Academy athlete.  

Some of Carlton’s greats have emerged from our new regional zone including 1995 premiership player Adrian Whitehead (Wodonga) and current Carlton Assistant coach Josh Fraser (Mansfield).   

Carlton Hall of Famer, dual Carlton Premiership captain and three-time Premiership player Jim Flynn also came from Carlton's new region, Benella.  

Now the Carlton Academy is committed to immersing itself in the new NGA zone, and will have the perfect opportunity to do so when the AFL playing group holds its annual Community Camp in the area on February 5 and 6.  

The AFL players will immerse themselves into the local community, taking part in footy clinics and visiting local schools.  

The Club will be hosting a come and try session in Shepparton to mark its commencement in the new zone on February 5th. To register your interest for the come and try session please click here.

Please note additional come and try sessions will be held in other parts of the region in early 2026.