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
Gold Coast
Players:ย Malcolm Rosas (23), Matt Rowell (23), Sam Flanders (23), Ned Moyle (23), Joel Jeffrey (23), Alex Davies (23), Sam Clohesy (22), Mac Andrew (22), Bodhi Uwland (21), Max Knobel (20), Bailey Humphrey (20), Lloyd Johnston (20), Jake Rogers (20), Jed Walter (19), Ethan Read (19), Will Graham (19), Asher Eastham (18), Leo Lombard (18), Lachlan Gulbin (18), Cooper Bell (18)
There shouldn't be any shock to think that the Suns young core is one of the best in the competition.
The expansion club has the lingering effects of trading out players for picks, meaning high-end talent continues to walk through the door each year.
Loe Lombard was the most recent example of that, following in the suit of the quartet of academy graduates Jed Walter, Jake Rogers, Ethan Read and Will Graham from the 2023 intake.
Matt Rowell somehow makes this group despite his dominance as a contested bull inside the midfield while Sam Flanders is quickly joining in on the act after being promoted from the half-back line.
Ned Moyle is ready to pounce on the primary ruck role while Mac Andrew could literally be anything, given his unlimited potential.
But a relatively forgotten player on this list is Bailey Humphrey, whose Dustin Martin-like tendencies can see him turn into a future star of the competition.
However, Damien Hardwick has a tough job in culling most of the list to the reserves side, meaning year after year, rivals began to plan an all-out attack at luring them away from Queensland.
