The AFL competition is hard enough to make as it is, but when entering the league as a pimple-faced, recently graduated high school student, the mountain just got much bigger to climb.
Each and every year, clubs welcome a host of future stars via the draft, as the race to fill a need or target a specific player heats up.
Other youngsters may bide their time in the various reserve competitions around the nation before they are given an opportunity at the big time.
But a lot of what makes an AFL club succeed isn't what those in the twilight or prime of their careers do, but what those just starting their journey contribute.
Brisbane's 2024 premiership team saw the emergence of Will Ashcroft, Kai Lohmann, Logan Morris, Jaspa Fletcher and Darcy Wilmot, players who are still putting red P-plates on cars.
But with a new year comes a new season, and a new crop of youngsters to assess.
We take a closer look at your team's youth, considering what they've achieved but also their potential...
*We are including players who are 23 as of January 1st, 2025
Hawthorn
Players:ย Will Day (23), Seamus Mitchell (22), Jack Ginnivan (22), Connor MacDonald (22), Sam Butler (22), Jai Serong (22), Max Ramsden (22), Jaime Uhr-Henry (21), Massimo D'Ambrosio (21), Josh Ward (21), Cameron Mackenzie (21), Josh Weddle (20), Henry Hustwaite (20), Bailey MacDonald (20), Jasper Scaife (20), Nick Watson (20), Bodie Ryan (20), Matt Hill (20) Calsher Dear (19), Will McCabe (19), Cody Anderson (19), Noah Mraz (19)
A lot of Hawthorn's 2024 forward line-up sit amongst this group, namely their three-pronged antagonists in the name of Jack Ginnivan, Connor Macdonald and Nick Watson.
Will Day poses the biggest threat to the competition, with the Hawks gun emerging as the next big thing through his evasiveness and clean hands in traffic.
Josh Weddle's versatility and running capacity have Hawthorn fans brimming with excitement while the acquisition of Massimo D'Ambrosio from Essendon proved to be a stroke of genius.
Depth on-ballers Josh Ward and Cam Mackenzie continue to ply their trade and are seen more often than not in Sam Mitchell's side, albeit in roles they haven't traditionally played.
