Wagga Tigers, Leeton-Whitton, Griffith, North Wagga, The Rock-Yerong Creek and the Northern Jets are among clubs who will have players driving down the highway next year, with Temora likely to follow suit.

Narrandera, Coolamon, Mangoplah-Cookardinia United-Eastlakes and Ganmain-Grong Grong-Matong have also had players travelling out of Canberra in recent years, as well as Hume League clubs.

While the numbers at clubs vary, and some are Riverina locals wanting to play at home, the volume means it no longer goes unnoticed.

“Obviously it rates a mention when players are moving around and very quickly it turns to money and remuneration,” AFL Canberra’s Football Operations Manager, Gary Lawless, said.

“Ultimately you would like to see kids entering Auskick and going right through to senior footy with the club they’re aligned with,” he said.

“At the end of the day, it doesn’t happen because there’s money in some particular area at some point in time.”

Lawless said it’s not always one-way traffic, acknowledging that a decade ago Canberra clubs were more likely to receive the benefits of player movement.

Regardless, he isn’t a fan of the “travelling recruits” phenomenon.

“The issue that I have personally is if a player that lives in Wagga and comes to Canberra for whatever cash money and then gets in his car and drives home, the money is leaving your community,” he said.

“Now there’s several players that live in Canberra and drive down the highway to whichever league… and I don’t see that that assists those communities.”

It’s a complex issue, with positives and negatives for clubs bringing new players to the leagues.

And the reduction of Canberra clubs involved in the second tier North East Australian Football League (NEAFL) competition – from five originally, down to one next season – has seen a growing number of players with experience at a higher level exploring their options.

Lawless said the introduction of a points system will help alleviate the issue by limiting the number of imports at clubs.

“That’s the starting point (of controlling) what is considered exceptionally excessive cash payments getting out and around the place that can distort the leagues,” he said.