It wasn't so long ago where teams would bottom out for a few years, stockpile talent from the draft and give them games at will and wait for them to blossom.

It was a formula that was looked at as the best way to return your club to its previous success. The idea of securing the best draft picks at times would force fans -and perhaps clubs- to will their team to lose in order to finish as low as possible.

There was an acceptance that patience and hard times would ultimately pay off. But what if you didn't have to go through the pain?

What if you could have all the success and avoid the multiple 100 point losses throughout the season? Wouldn't that be wonderful?

Well going on 2021 examples, it may be the way of the future. North Melbourne, Essendon, Sydney and Adelaide are all proving you don't have to be uncompetitive at the start of your rebuild.

The Bombers are on the verge of finals and have been one of the league's most exciting teams to watch all year.

They have seen their investment in youth pay off handsomely and their experienced players are standing tall as well.

They traded away a valuable asset in Adam Saad for a first-round pick and saw Joe Daniher leave via free agency in return for another first-round selection. Two of the three players recruited with their three top-ten picks have been nominated for the NAB Rising Star.

There's no doubt players are entering the system more ready to have an immediate impact than ever before. Sam Walsh and Matt Rowell are perfect examples of this. But for every Walsh and Rowell there is perhaps a Jamarra Ugle-Hagan.

It's no knock on Ugle-Hagan. But he isn't as ready as the previous two number one draft picks. But that's ok because the Dogs don't need him to be.

But teams are now selecting players they believe will come in and immediately improve their team.

North Melbourne took an approach many were shocked by and they knew by delisting over a dozen players at once that they were embarking on a rebuild that may take time to bare the fruits of its labour.

But in a season where some experts didn't see them winning a game, they have been competitive in most games and have actually gotten better as the season has rolled on.

That isn't normally the way these builds go.

Usually young teams with minimal experienced heads around them fade away as the year grows. Look at the Suns in recent years, before this year they had a 3-42 record in the second half of seasons since 2017.

It had become Gold Coast's trademark and it was widely accepted because they were a young developing team. But the Kangaroos haven't accepted that and have looked a better more organised team week-on-week.

Adelaide were a rabble last season and it took them until round 13 to win a game.

They again went to the draft and they have outdone most expectations. They probably aren't realistically in the finals picture but they're an awful lot closer than many had them before round one.

One key similarity between what Essendon and the Crows have done this year is that their senior players have stood up and put in some career best seasons. It has meant the burden hasn't fallen on the young kids to carry the load.

Taylor Walker and Cale Hooker are in the race for the Coleman Medal, at the end of 2020 it wasn't certain either would be on an AFL list. Rory Laird and Jake Stringer have become superstar ball-winners, helping take the load off younger players making their way.

Compare that with Carlton of 2018. The Blues had just drafted Paddy Dow and Lochie O'Brien at picks 3 and 10. Immediately the duo were thrown into a midfield that revolved entirely around Patrick Cripps and they were asked to help share that load.

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That isn't how it should be. It should be the older guys taking the load off the kids, not dumping it onto them. Both Dow and O'Brien's development has been questioned since with the former only recently finding his feet at AFL level.

The Swans are a startling example and perhaps the best glimmer of hope for anyone who supports a team struggling at the moment.

Last season they were a bang average side who looked set for a lengthy rebuild. They headed to the draft- and in-part due to their academy- were able to secure some incredible talent and now are a genuine flag contender.

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They saw the experienced Lance Franklin get his body right and return to form which meant when young key forward Logan McDonald needed some time in the VFL they could afford to let him drop down.

Clubs seem to have learnt over recent seasons how to turn a lengthy rebuild into a quick up-rise.

The template seems to be there, bringing in players you believe can have immediate impact and leaning on experienced players willing to stand-up and drive the new direction of the club.

Have clubs finally figured out how to save their fans the years of pain and will we now see teams moving up and down the ladder with much more fluidity and ease in coming years?

The rebuilding class of 2021 has seemingly nailed the start of the process and really only time will tell if they have unlocked a secret formula or if this season was just an anomaly to the rebuilds we have come to know and dread.