An early talking point at Gather Round has come in the form of Collingwood's Ned Long, who was suiting up for the VFL state team at the corresponding edition of the South Australian football festival last year.
While donning the black and white for the first half of 2024 as part of the Magpies' VFL program, Long put his best foot forward in the wake of his Hawthorn delisting.
The 22-year-old managed five games during his two seasons at Waverley, struggling to cement his place as a midfield-forward hybrid under Sam Mitchell.
His venture to Collingwood has since paid dividends, with Long rewarded for his dominant opening to the 2024 VFL season with a promotion to the Magpies' AFL list last May via the Mid-Season Draft.
A promising performance for the Big V in Glenelg during last year's Gather Round schedule added to his impressive rebound, and 12 months later, he's now shaping as a pivotal piece in Collingwood's own hopes of bouncing back.
The Fitzroy product was arguably the best afield in Friday's 31-point victory over Sydney at Adelaide Oval, recording 29 disposals, nine clearances, six tackles, 17 contested possessions, 10 score involvements, seven inside 50s and over 500 metres gained in just his second full game of the year.
Long had been the tactical sub in three of his four matches to start the year, with his coach Craig McRae lauding the contested "beast" for taking his opportunity on the big stage.
"I don't think he'll be sub for a while. His game was remarkable right from the start," McRae said.
"His contest work is so strong. He looks such a beast at the contest, and if he's not winning it himself, he's getting it back. We just rewarded him inside (the rooms).
"It was hard to tell him a couple of weeks in a row he'd be the sub, but tonight we just told him to go and enjoy it. He's elevated our midfield.
"He was a mid-season pick, so he didn't. He did little bits of pre-season with us, but played in our VFL. He's had a full pre-season, a year of growth in himself, we believe in him enormously.
"Jeez, he complements our group right now, he adds pressure. You saw tonight, he's going to be hard to stop when he plays like that."
Long's starring role added weight to the value of non-AFL players who can thrive in the top flight once given the exposure, with the second game of this year's Gather Round fixture also presenting a platform for mature-aged Swans draftee Riley Bice and Mid-Season Draft addition Tom Hanily, who were both playing at lower levels this time last year.
Bice has been a sensation for Sydney in his short time with the club, playing a lead role in last week's victory over North Melbourne in what was the Werribee product's second full game for the Swans.
The rebounding defender was a constant coming out of the Swans' back half on Friday night, collecting 21 disposals for a return of 466 metres gained against the Magpies, while Hanily kicked two goals from 11 disposals in just his fifth game.
Richmond's Jacob Blight, West Coast's Jack Hutchinson and St Kilda's Max Hall join Long and Hanily as 2024 Mid-Season Draft selections who are holding down roles at AFL level this year, while Essendon's Saad El-Hawli looks set to take the next step after making his debut in Round 3 against Port Adelaide.
Reigning Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal winner Sam Davidson and Werribee product Jack Henderson have slotted in seamlessly at the Western Bulldogs and Melbourne respectively since being picked up over the off-season, with Henderson a teammate of Long's at last year's VFL vs SANFL state game.
St Kilda's Harry Boyd and Gold Coast recruit Ben Jepson were others to feature in that match who have gone on to earn promotions to the AFL since.
