THE VAST majority of first year players will fail to make much statistical noise in Toyota AFL Dream Team, but there are a select few with skills and abilities to make an immediate impact such as Daniel Rich of the Brisbane Lions, the others are just there to build the value of your teams for the latter part of the season.

1. Tom Scully
Given that seven of the top 10 selections in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft were midfielders, it won’t be hard to find rookies for your midfield this season. The No.1 pick is always the safest bet. Scully is an absolute gun and he dominated at junior level averaging 25 disposals per match across three seasons of TAC Cup. Despite being heavily tagged at the 2008 NAB Under-18 Championships, he was still able to perform well averaging 25 disposals and 84 points per match. The early comparisons to Chris Judd may be a little premature, but he’s possibly the best we’ve seen since then. 

2. Jack Trengove
Many experts believed Trengove was the best player in the 2009 NAB AFL Draft and Melbourne found it hard to split him and Scully. History will tell us he was taken at No.2, but there is no doubt that he’s the most advanced of any of the draftees. He played 11 senior games in the SANFL last year and starred in the finals series where he averaged 21 disposals per match. He was also the best performing player at the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 90 points per match, six more than teammate Scully. Barring anyone unforseen disasters over the pre-season, he will be a definite starter for round one and he should go close to playing all 22 home and away games.

3. Dustin Martin
Teams coming off a poor year are always inclined to play draft picks early on. This should be the case with Martin, with the Tigers keen to get as many games into him this season as possible. He was a solid performer at TAC Cup level last year and finished the season off in blazing fashion, racking up 32 disposals in each of his last three games to average 87 points per match across the year. With the Tigers in desperate need of some genuine class in the midfield, he has plenty of it and will fit in well alongside Brett Deledio, Trent Cotchin and Nathan Foley. 

4. Ben Cunnington
Cunnington suffered a setback during the pre-season after a hot spot was found in his foot. Unlike Liam Anthony last season, it was identified early and he should still be available for selection in round one. With the retirement of Adam Simpson and with Brent Harvey another year older, North Melbourne is rebuilding its midfield and he should get plenty of games this year. He was the third-best performing player at TAC Cup level last season, averaging 98 points per match from his 13 games. He demonstrated that he could go forward and score plenty of goals, which is always a bonus for a midfielder.

5. Anthony Morabito
Morabito may be the closest thing we’ve seen to Adam Goodes. Like the dual Brownlow Medallist, he is a tall and mobile midfielder that covers the ground extremely well. He isn’t a ball magnet though, so don’t expect him to rack up big numbers, but what he will do is get plenty of games and gradually increase in price. He failed to feature in the top-25 for points scored during the 2009 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships, averaging 16 disposals and three marks per match. He was exposed to senior football in the WAFL last season and is physically ready to step straight into Fremantle's midfield.

6. Lewis Jetta
The Swans traditionally hold back their early draft picks but they may have to make an exception for Jetta. The 19-year-old isn’t overly big in stature but what he lacks in size he makes up for with his blistering pace. He arrives at the club after a season of senior football in the WAFL last year, where he played every game and averaged 16 disposals per match. He shot up the draft pecking order after his eye-catching performance in a final where he had 23 disposals and scored three goals. He is ready to play straight away, with the only query being whether he gets the opportunity in a restructured Swans outfit.

7. Kane Lucas
Lucas was the third-best performing player at the 2009 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships averaging 85 points per match. Likened to a Scott Pendlebury, he averaged 21 disposals and six marks per match at the carnival and looked extremely impressive. Carlton's midfield is already brimming with talent, so the West Australian’s acquisition will add more depth to an already strong group. He will definitely get games this year, but he may not set the world on fire considering he struggled with the step up to WAFL seniors last season.

8. Marcus Davies
Davies could be a real smoky this season after impressing for Tasmania last year in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships. He averaged 20 disposals per match at the carnival, but collected some impressive numbers in his two games in the TAC Cup averaging 104 points per match - ranked No.1 of any draftee. He’s a ball-winning defender and considering that Nick Stevens has retired, he could be used as a running defender by Brett Ratten.

9. Bradley Sheppard
Sheppard has a lot to live up to if we compare him to his predecessors that were taken at No.7 in recent NAB AFL Drafts with the likes of Daniel Rich, Rhys Palmer and Joel Selwood all winning NAB Rising Star awards. He won’t replicate the feats of those players, but he will still be handy in AFL Dream Team. Given that rookie defenders are the hardest positions to fill, he will get games this season but the only question is how many? He has been impressive so far this pre-season and will be pushing for selection come round one and considering that Scott Selwood may be pushed further up the ground this year, he may be given a game sooner rather than later.

10. Trent Dennis-Lane
The Swans are desperate for forwards and Dennis-Lane is a strong chance to play a part in the new forward structure in 2010. A mature-age recruit, he starred in the WAFL last season finishing runner-up in the goalkicking after booting 66 goals. He turned it on in the last session before the Christmas break and booted four goals in an intra-club hit-out, demonstrating that he could form a formidable partnership with the newly arrived Daniel Bradshaw. He could be the Hayden Ballantyne of last season and at his bargain basement price he could be one of the most popular selections in AFL Dream Team this season.