'A real shame': Canberra Demons star Mitch Maguire calls on AFL to consider ACT after NEAFL call

The Canberra Demons have been left in the lurch with no idea if they are a part of the AFL's plans to merge the eastern seaboard's second-tier league with the VFL.

Maguire moved to Canberra to link up with the NEAFL club, which has emerged as a second chance saloon for AFL hopefuls, and soon claimed the league's Rising Star award.

But he too was blindsided by the decision to scrap the competition as we knew it in a move that could spell disaster for draft prospects in Canberra, the Riverina and the south coast,

"It's a really good catchment area and if we happen to lose state league footy here, it would be a real shame," Maguire said.

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"Those blokes would have to go to Melbourne, which is six hours away, and a lot of them probably wouldn't do it. They'd stay in the country and wouldn't get the opportunity to better their footy elsewhere which is a bit of a shame really.

"I've always said this the whole time I've been here, especially from where I'm from in the Riverina area, it's six hours down the highway to get to Melbourne to play state league footy there, versus two and a half hours down the highway to get to Canberra to play state league footy.

"They can be closer to home, don't have to move as far, all those sorts of things. In the NEAFL, it seems to a younger comp and those younger players tend to play in their first year, whereas if they go to the VFL, they might not get a game until they're 21 or 22.

"It's been awesome. Not only for that region, you've also got all the south coast boys, they can come down to Canberra to play as well."

A host of Demons players have linked up with clubs in the AFL Canberra competition to get matches under their belts while awaiting clarity on their future.

But Maguire, who has boosted the unbeaten Belconnen Magpies' premiership tilt, concedes he has no idea what comes next.

An alliance with the Giants has been raised by some, however the AFL club needs to consider what it would do with the players already on its reserves list given GWS, Sydney, Brisbane and Gold Coast are VFL-bound.

"It's really annoying to be honest. I saw the article come out and thought 'great, at least there is an answer'," Maguire said.

"But it sort of still wasn't an answer, it hasn't been closed off to the idea of us forming with the [GWS] Giants or things like that. We still don't really have a clue."