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.
It's hard to see father-son acquisition Sam Darcy making an instant impact for the Bulldogs, as tall forwards generally need time to adjust to AFL level (and we saw Jamarra Ugle-Hagan's slow transition from the Bulldogs' VFL side to their senior side).
Therefore, Luke Cleary may be the most likely out of the Bulldogs' 2021 crop of draftees to make an early impression on Luke Beveridge and the Dogs' selection committee.
The rebounding defender is an efficient kicker and a hard worker and he may be in line for an early-season debut for the Bulldogs if things fall his way.
