WHEN the ground announcer read the changes to the Geelong side at Skilled Stadium last Sunday, it sounded like a day at the spring carnival after a heavy downpour.

There were three late 'scratchings' and the Cats’ team that took the field against Adelaide was minus seven players from the previous week’s win over St Kilda.

In terms of experience, out went 1161 games (Darren Milburn, Brad Ottens, Jimmy Bartel, James Kelly, Josh Hunt, Mathew Stokes and Nathan Vardy) and in came 183 games (Shannon Byrnes, Tom Hawkins, Tim Gillies, Allen Christensen, Dawson Simpson, Steven Motlop and Mitch Brown).

Of those coming in, Byrnes had played 99 games and Hawkins 69.

So how does the best-performed side of the past five years do it?

To use another racing analogy, the Cats keep turning up at the AFL’s equivalent of the yearling sales - the NAB AFL Draft - and finding bargains.

Their long-serving recruiting manager Stephen Wells runs his eye over the available talent like Bart Cummings would inspect a staying prospect and, as Sunday’s game showed, the proof is on the scoreboard.

This week, Wells took time from studying the next batch of young stars playing in the 2011 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships to reflect on how he unearthed the talent the Cats turned out last Sunday, plus others who have been used at various times this season.

MITCH BROWN (No. 15, 2008 draft): Made his debut last Sunday and kicked three goals. "I first saw Mitch the year he was drafted. He played at Mentone Grammar, then played some TAC Cup football for the Sandringham Dragons. He’s been unlucky with injuries in his first two years, but he has made the most of his opportunities."

ALLEN CHRISTENSEN (No. 40, 2009 draft): Played his seventh game last Sunday and gathered 26 disposals. "He was a good player for Vic Country in the year he was drafted and being a local [from Lara] didn’t hurt."

JOSH COWAN (No. 56, 2009): Played two games earlier this season. "Missed the second half of his draft year with a broken thumb, but saw him play well in a final for North Ballarat."

MITCH DUNCAN (No. 28, 2009):
Played eight games in 2010 and 11 this year. "Did a great job for Western Australia at the 2009 [under-18] championships. Played some senior footy for East Perth, which also helped him."

TOM GILLIES (No. 33, 2008): Played six games in 2009 but had to wait until last week before returning to the AFL team. "Saw him play well in defence for the Dandenong Stingrays. Quite often played on the opposition’s best forward."

CAMERON GUTHRIE (No. 23, 2010): Played the first two games of 2011. "Liked his versatility and he played well in a strong Calder Cannons side."

TAYLOR HUNT (No. 49, 2008): Played 18 games in the past two seasons. "Had a lot of good attributes … he’s quick and is a nice kick. Did well for Vic Metro in 2008."

DANIEL MENZEL (No. 17, 2009): Played 15 games and is a star in the making. "Made the 2009 [under-18] All Australian team as a defender. Played a game of senior footy for Central District at the end of 2009."

STEVEN MOTLOP (No. 39, 2009): Played his second game last Sunday. "Saw him in the under-16s with the Northern Territory. Played on [AFL] Grand Final day at the MCG and looked at home."

DAWSON SIMPSON (No. 34, 2007): Played his third game last Sunday. "Was a big lad back in under-18s with the Murray Bushrangers and showed he could compete."

NATHAN VARDY (No. 42, 2009): Played five games this year and looks a prospect. "Took some good marks with Vic Country in 2009. Can ruck or go forward, so he was one we had pencilled in."

The Cats’ first pick in the 2010 draft, Billie Smedts (No. 15), is injured and is unlikely to be seen until 2012. So what is Wells’ secret? "There is no secret," he said. "It comes back to [identifying] good players in the under-18s and watching them closely."

The views in this article are those of the author and not necessarily those of the AFL or its clubs

This story first appeared in the AFL Record