For fans of struggling sides, the AFL Draft is as close to Christmas as possible.
Fresh faces act as shiny, new toys, with goodwill and cheer also available in abundance.
While every club has hit the track for their pre-Christmas training period and each of the new boys have filled their lockers with brand new gear, sights have turned to which of this year's draft class has the ability to make an early impact in 2022.
Although plenty of players plucked will need big summers in the gym, there are a handful of precocious talents that already have expectations on their shoulders.
Here are the names that look the most likely to hit the ground running in their debut years.
The Kangaroos will have no hesitation naming the No. 1 pick in their Round 1 side, with the young South Australian midfielder already showing what he's capable of doing at senior level for the South Adelaide Panthers in the SANFL.
Horne-Francis is an explosive, contested-ball beast who will no doubt feature for the Kangaroos in Round 1.
during the NAB AFL Draft at the Cathedral Hotel on November 24, 2021 in Adelaide, Australia. (Photo by James Elsby/AFL Photos)
