Asked if he felt Pridham had raised a fair point, however, McLachlan equivocated.

“I can see both sides,” he said. “There is a facility in place for the players, and whether we need that for the coaches ... we’ll have discussions with the clubs as is appropriate.“

Cameron, who had assistant coaches Lenny Hayes and Brad Miller leave GWS at the end of last year to pursue interests outside of football, said Pridham’s comments were “strong” and worthy of consideration by the AFL.

“I think the AFL’s got to look at everything. They’ve probably got a thousand things on their plate,” Cameron said.

“No doubt they’ll look at that but I understand there’s going to be lots of talk about it down south. But I just think there’s some hard facts that float around about coaches in the northern states.

“We’re minus three coaches because of the soft cap and no doubt every other club’s probably the same. More work, less money, and housing prices in Sydney as a fact hasn’t really changed.”

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As contentious a topic as COLA for the Victorian clubs has been the impact of the academies in the northern states - in particular the Swans’ academy, which appears to have produced two more likely long-term stars in Errol Gulden and Braeden Campbell, who made their AFL debuts in Sydney’s upset win over Brisbane.

McLachlan said the system was starting to bear fruit and was happy with how the Swans and other clubs have gained access to those players through the draft.

“I feel they’re playing a really important role in getting our share of first-choice athletes in NSW, and obviously Queensland. The debate in Victoria has been the price you pay,” he said.

“The success of the academies is there for everyone to see, and you certainly saw it on Saturday night at the Gabba. We’re always reviewing our settings but the way now the bid system through the draft [works], I feel pretty comfortable that that’s working.”