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.

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Essendon

Archie Perkins (MID/FWD)

SuperCoach price - $171,300
AFL Fantasy Price - $254,000

With Essendon spending their prized ninth pick to secure him, the hype surrounding Archie Perkins in palpable.

Although another player that failed to lace the boots last season due to COVID, the Sandringham Dragons product averaged 68.4 fantasy points and 82 on the Supercoach platform in 2019.

Perkins has the ability to play in multiple positions, as evidenced by his dual position status, so a place anywhere in the Don's best 22 is a possibility.

However, as he is reportedly training on a restricted program, keep an eye on his AAMI Community Series outputs.

Should Perkins line up in the forward arc, look elsewhere for better value.

Nikolas Cox (DEF/FWD)

SuperCoach price - $175,800
AFL Fantasy price - $256,000

As the second of Essendon's top ten picks, excitement around Nik Cox is akin to Perkins.

Standing at 200cm, the former Northern Knight has caught punter's eyes with his high marking and his 2km time trial victory.

In his 10 NAB League appearances in 2019, Cox averaged a solid 59.4 Fantasy and 75 Supercoach points.

Although operating with a comparatively light frame, the ambiguity surrounding Essendon's best 22 could see him included.

Harrison Jones (FWD)

SuperCoach price - $123,900
AFL Fantasy price - $170,000

Tall forwards are notorious for producing low scores, but when they come with a bargain basement price tag, they are worth considering.

Although Peter Wright has been brought in to replace Joe Daniher, there could still be a position for Harrison Jones in Ben Rutten's forward line.

Once again, take close note of Jones' pre-season form, but should he find a way onto the Don's team sheet for round one, find a place for him on your bench.

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