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
North Melbourne
Players:ย Charlie Comben (23), Tom Powell (23), Will Phillips (22), Eddie Ford (22), Miller Bergman (22), Paul Curtis (22), Josh Goater (21), Finnbar Maley (21), Jackson Archer (21), Brayden George (21), Robert Hansen Jr (21), George Wardlaw (20), Cooper Harvey (20), Harry Sheezel (20), Jacob Konstanty (20), Riley Hardeman (20), Colby McKercher (20), Taylor Goad (19), Zane Duursma (19), Geordie Payne (19), Wil Dawson (19), Matt Whitlock (18), Finn O'Sullivan (18), River Stevens (18), Luke Urquhart (18)
The Kangaroos have arguably one of the most stacked youth cohorts in the competition, and there is no surprise why.
An influx of first-round draft picks over the last few years has seen them rise up this list, but not for the right reasons.
Harry Sheezel could be the greatest North Melbourne player when all is said and done while his partner-in-crime George Wardlaw is a force to be reckoned with.
Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma will be given more time but they have already started to make waves while Finn O'Sullivan is expected to make an immediate impact.
Charlie Comben's emergence as a swing player surprised most, but once deployed in defence, proved he could match it with the competition's best key forwards.
Jackson Archer, like his father, is quickly becoming a hard-edged lockdown defender who doesn't give an inch, which will hold the Roos in good stead.
