LOOK down the draft order and the potential AFL debutants are all there.

Richmond will give the No.1 pick Sam Lalor every chance to recover from a fractured jaw to play next Thursday night, Finn O'Sullivan is a lock at North Melbourne, Jagga Smith would have been certain to play for Carlton if not for an ACL injury, Sid Draper has worked his way into Adelaide's plans.

Father-son gun Levi Ashcroft should feature for Brisbane, provided its season-opener against Geelong actually goes ahead, Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay are in contention at Melbourne, while Josh Smillie was set to play if not for hamstring setbacks across the summer.

Leo Lombard would have played for Gold Coast, if not for a dislocated shoulder ruining his early season hopes, Isaac Kako already figures as an important member of Essendon's side, while Joe Berry has fought his way into Port Adelaide's attack. Bo Allen, Murphy Reid, Luke Trainor and Cody Angove are all on the cusp as well.

Look even further outside the 2024 draft pool's first round and the potential AFL debutants continue to pile in. Ty Gallop is a surprise bolter at Brisbane, Sam Davidson has all but assured his spot at the Dogs, it's similar with Hugh Boxshall at St Kilda, while Lucas Camporeale has come from the clouds to fight his way into Carlton's plans.

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There's more, as well. Jacob Konstanty could figure at North Melbourne, having failed to win his debut while on Sydney's list, James Leake and Phoenix Gothard will be considered at Greater Western Sydney, while Archer Reid is expected to be a contender to fill an attacking void at West Coast.

Even the pre-season Supplemental Selection Period (SSP) could unearth some debutants. St Kilda's Harry Boyd will be on standby if Rowan Marshall can't prove his fitness, Matt Carroll has genuine fans at Carlton, while Tom Edwards and Lewis Hayes will both be an outside chance at Essendon.

Melbourne duo Aidan Johnson and Matt Jefferson, North Melbourne youngster Matt Whitlock, St Kilda's Irish recruit Liam O'Connell, and Western Bulldogs father-son gun Jordan Croft are others that could work their way into contention across the competition in the first weeks of the year.

The raft of potential Opening Round and round one debutants had many in the AFL industry questioning last week whether a record would be broken: How many debutants would need to be called upon for history to be rewritten?

According to AFL historian, Swamp, the overall record for debutants in a club's opening match of the season through the AFL era is 28 (set in 1990). Meanwhile, the record in the 18-team era is 23 (set in 2021). Over each of the last three seasons, there have been 15 debutants earning a 'round one' debut.

In the 13 seasons of the 18-team era, the average number of 'round one' debutants stands at 17.8 per year. So, why could that number suddenly balloon out to the mid-20s this season? More injuries, a better draft, readier prospects?

"It's a combination, injuries, subs and a really strong pool," one Victorian recruiter said.

"Last season was a fair bit stronger than anything before it as well. You've only got to see what kids like Boxshall and Davidson have been doing in these practice games. They were what? Picks in the 40s, 50s, 60s? There was such good depth to it.

"Clubs have also realised it's a long season. You used to hold them back, but now you're OK with exposing them early and managing them through the season. Maybe even a shorter pre-season helps them as well."

Another factor could be the exposure some have already had to senior football. For example, Lombard has been playing VFL for the best part of three seasons through his ties to Gold Coast's Academy, Draper spent all of last year playing at SANFL level for South Adelaide, while Allan played WAFL football for Peel Thunder.

Victorian prospects have also earned more senior chances. O'Sullivan and Smith played at VFL level for Richmond, Ashcroft for Brisbane, Tobie Travaglia for Carlton, Jobe Shanahan and James Barrat for Essendon.

While youngsters in Victorian pathway systems are getting the odd opportunity to feature at senior level in the VFL – evidenced most notably by O'Sullivan and Smith's trials at Punt Road – it remains very little compared to their non-Victorian counterparts. But is that a good thing in the long run?

"I do think it's something the Vic talent pathways need to keep looking at. They've got better at it, but that exposure does help players overcome barriers earlier in their career," another AFL recruiter said.

"The SANFL does seem the most aggressive competition in picking underage talent in their teams. Some guys who didn't even get drafted played a lot of senior SANFL football last year.

"But an interesting part is, who else but Sid Draper is going to play a lot of senior AFL footy this year that played a lot of senior SANFL footy last season? Playing senior SANFL footy can also make it hard to get a read on South Australian talent, given how much they get hyped up when they're playing at that level."

There are also some in the AFL industry that still urge caution around when younger prospects should get their opportunity at senior level. North Melbourne's veteran coach Alastair Clarkson, for example, has warned against expecting every teenager coming through the system being compared to his own Harry Sheezel.

"If it was the NFL, they'd be doing four years of an apprenticeship at college level before they could go out and compete on the big stage like they do at the Super Bowl," Clarkson told AFL.com.au last month.

"They've done an apprenticeship for their bodies, they've done an apprenticeship for learning the game, and they've done an apprenticeship for going through the challenges that life brings us from 18 to 22 years of age.

"We've been there. We know the perils of them. Driving vehicles, moving away from home, going to uni, chasing girls, the drug scene, social media. You throw in anything you like.

"We're bringing in kids at 18 years of age, and then a Harry Sheezel pops onto the scene and straightaway we expect everyone to be like Harry. We love the fact they can get through and make contributions quickly, but guess what? By and large, the majority just take their time."

This year, though, there could be upwards of 20 young prospects hoping to "be like Harry" and played AFL football in round one. But whether that's enough to break the League's longstanding record, or even the record within the 18-team era, will be decided across the next fortnight.