You have to wonder how many players there are running around in state leagues capable of having an impact at AFL level.

If round one is anything to go by, the answer is probably plenty.

Older draftees or elevated mature rookies caught the eye in games from one side of the country to the other.

In Perth, it was 22-year-old Docker draftee Michael Barlow (33 possessions in the midfield) and Alex Silvagni, also 22, who jumped off the rookie list and straight into the Fremantle defence.

Across in Adelaide it was Cameron Hitchcock, who was picked up as a rookie from Glenelg this year after missing earlier drafts.

Back in Melbourne, the Hawks unveiled a couple of likely types with 24-year-old elevated rookie Jarrod Kayler-Thomson and re-rookied Carl Peterson, 22, grabbing the headlines in their debut matches on Saturday at the MCG against Melbourne.

And the previous night at the G, Essendon rookie Ben Howlett, 21, smoothly completed his transition from the WAFL to the AFL.

If Howlett was looking for inspiration, he only had to look to the opposing side and Harry Taylor, an inspired mature-aged pick out of the WAFL in 2007.

Taylor was a 21-year-old wingman/utility when the Cats grabbed him soon after their breakthrough flag and turned him into an earnest defender.

No Geelong fan will forget his crucial job on St Kilda captain Nick Riewoldt in last year’s premiership win.

But the Cats have gone even deeper, in an age sense, this season by taking 28-year-old James Podsiadly as a mature-aged ‘journeyman’ rookie.

The AFL media guide lists five clubs for Podsiadly so far - Yarraville, Western U18s, Essendon rookie, Collingwood rookie and Geelong VFL.

But during a six-year stint at Werribee he also trained at the Western Bulldogs and Richmond.

Talk about persistence. When he plays a game for the Cats it will be one of the season’s great stories.

The fact that some players take longer than others to develop is nothing new.

In years gone by a number of players chose to stay in local leagues until they thought they were ready.

Gary Buckenara played senior football with his brothers at teacher’s college for several years before even having a go at WAFL level.

After a few years at Subiaco, he was more than ready to dominate when he made the move to Hawthorn.

And there are many such stories.

The mature-aged talent pool is set to become even more vital in coming years.

With Gold Coast and Greater Western Sydney having first dibs at the best teenage talent, recruiters now have to think outside the square.

List sizes also remain tight and the season is rigorous. Which makes the mature-aged, mature-bodied selection not such a gamble after all.

David Reed is an award winning journalist with has over 20 years experience, including stints at The West Australian and the Sunday Herald Sun. He will write extensively for geelongcats.com.au this year.