With salary caps set at $10 million and $13 million across the SuperCoach and AFL Fantasy platforms respectively, filling every position with a premium player is simply not possible.
In order to field a team that both keeps you under the cap and allows you to be competitive, selecting a smattering of rookies is essential.
Obviously, these young names won't make up the bulk of your weekly totals, but should you select the right ones early, your bottom line and your win/loss column will look healthy.
Although we don't know whether any of these names will break through the banner in round one just yet, their pre-season track work has piqued our interest.
These are each club's rated rookies that look primed for early debuts.
Carlton
Corey Durdin (FWD)
SuperCoach price - $117,300
AFL Fantasy price - $198,000
Although the Blues are another side that appear unlikely to blood any youngsters early, Corey Durdin could prove the exception.
With Eddie Betts' pre-season interrupted with injury and delay, Durdin could well prove the best replacement for the ageing small forward.
The South Australian won the Kevin Sheehan medal as the best player in the 2018 Under-16 carnival and has proven a handful for defenders at SANFL level since.
With ambiguity surrounding any potential inclusion, keep a keen eye on the young Blues' pre-season form before finding a place for him in your team.
