NORTH MELBOURNE – GLENN ARCHER

"I'm a massive wrap for Aaron Black. He's only played 22 games but I think he's got the potential to become one of the gun key forwards in the League over the next few years. He just reads the ball really well in the air. As soon as the ball leaves a teammate's boot, he seems to know where it's going to drop, which is incredibly handy as a key forward." 

Glenn Archer is excited about Aaron Black's potential as a key forward. Picture: AFL Media

ADELAIDE – ANDREW JARMAN

"There's two key players for next year – Sam Jacobs, for me, is the barometer of the program. I think he's going to have a massive year next year, I think physically and mentally he's going to take his game to the next level. And the X-Factor for me is Brad Crouch … he needs to take a big step in terms of his preparation because he's going to get hunted, he's going to have some games where the opposition are going to sit on him and that'll be his next test."

BRISBANE LIONS - CHRIS JOHNSON

"I think Pearce Hanley can take the next step. At the moment he's been an attacking half-back running player. He's an elite player. The next string to his bow is to work out the craft of stoppage work and become a midfielder. If he wants to take the next step, that's it. His asset is running and carrying the ball and if he can do that in the front half, he'll have a shot on goal or take it into your forward 50. If he can move up a little bit more and hurt the opposition on the scoreboard, he becomes more valuable for you." 

CARLTON - PERCY JONES

"There's no doubt the Blues need a key forward to stand up, so I think Levi Casboult is a real key player for them. He could be a real plus. There were stages last season when he looked fantastic, but then he'd go missing. But it's a hard game and it's hard to be consistent. He's only a young bloke, so with an extra year of experience anything could happen."

COLLINGWOOD - PETER DAICOS

"As an outsider looking in I'm a little uncertain of Jamie Elliott's exact role but he is clearly a small forward who takes a big mark and he is very competitive, quick and knows where the goals are. He loves a goal, which is evident. That is good because one of the hardest thing to do is develop goalkickers. He needs to aim for 1.5 to two goals a game. If he can kick 40 goals for the year that would be huge for the club and I think he is quite capable of doing that. I enjoy watching him play because he can take that unexpected big mark. They are a bit of a rarity those types of guys. However the challenge is there because he is now going to get a heap of attention. A bit more planning will go into how to stop him."

ESSENDON – JASON JOHNSON

"David Zaharakis, to me, is almost the key as a barometer for the Bombers. If he's on, his foot skills are elite. He had a couple of injuries last year so if they can get 20 games out of him he's very damaging with the footy inside 50 in particular. This time last year I thought Tom Bellchambers would have a good season in 2013 and I thought he did, but I reckon he can go again and really take the game on."

David Zaharakis is Essendon's barometer, Jason Johnson believes. Picture: AFL Media

FREMANTLE – PAUL HASLEBY

"One of those players who had a good year last year but I think will go into that A grade type of bracket is Nick Suban. Certainly the penny dropped with him last year in terms of his fitness and by all reports he's come back even fitter again and I reckon he'll get more opportunity through the midfield and should have a dominant season."   

GEELONG - GARETH ANDREWS

"I don't see as much of the VFL as I should, but they all say that Jackson Thurlow is going to be a terrific player. If we get players who step up in the same way that Cam Guthrie did this year, the club is going to be in a great place. Guthrie is suddenly a 200-game player. He actually reminds me of what the older blokes like Corey Enright and Jimmy Bartel looked like back in the early 2000s. So I think we've got a good system for getting players right."

GOLD COAST - MALCOLM BLIGHT

"Both Dion Prestia and Jaeger O'Meara's training up until Christmas has been sensational. You'd like to think that they might become elite midfielders, along with David Swallow, Jack Martin and Harley Bennell. Our midfield, with Gary (Ablett) leading it, you'd like to think it could become elite."

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY – DERMOTT BRERETON

"I believe Adam Treloar can be an absolute elite player in the midfield and be top five in the comp with his ability, his skill set and his want and desire for the game. He's a very rare breed. Not too many guys with his pace are inside players. They normally tend to be on the outside. But he has enormous pace, enormous courage and seeks out body contact, which is a rare blend. He has the makings of being something extraordinary. He just needs to become a better player when he doesn't have the ball."

HAWTHORN - GARY AYRES

"I think Hawthorn has shown that it can move on without Lance Franklin because they have created such a flexible forward structure. I thought Jack Gunston was the player of the finals for the Hawks this year and when you add Luke Bruest, Cyril Rioli, David Hale and of course Jarryd Roughead, they wont have too many issues with the forward line. I think Ryan Schoenmakers will play in the backline once he returns. That's where he is best suited, so they won't need him up forward. We haven't seen Schoenmakers, Brian Lake and Josh Gibson in the same backline, but I'm sure Alastair Clarkson will be able to make it work."

MELBOURNE – GARRY LYON

"I think Jimmy Toumpas is a player who was thrown in to the deep end last season. He's fit, he runs hard and I believe he's having a great pre-season. At times he got a little bit caught up in it last year, with not much support to a young player. You put a guy with that ability in to a Hawthorn side or a Sydney side, then we'd be sitting here saying, gee, he's going to be exciting. I think Jimmy's got a really big upside. So I'm looking forward to watching him play." 

Melbourne hopes Jimmy Toumpas can become a key part of its midfield. Picture: AFL Media

PORT ADELAIDE – STEPHEN WILLIAMS

"Getting Matt White, talking to my brother Mark who was obviously at Richmond with him, he said he was really important for them as a guy who could win the ball and break the lines. You'd expect him to come in and make a real difference for them with that outside run."

RICHMOND – MICHAEL ROACH

"I know they were pretty keen to play Liam McBean last year but he got injured towards the end. He's over 200cm, so I'm interested in seeing how he goes. Nick Vlastuin and Reece Conca are two tough guys who are learning footy and showed they will be very good players after another pre-season."

ST KILDA – DANNY FRAWLEY

"There's a lot of young players there and I think Jack Steven has rightly put himself in the A-grade bracket in the midfield. Hopefully David Armitage can keep improving too – he's had a fairly consistent year in 2013 but Steven has obviously gone past him. I think [Armitage] is a very good player, I think if he can get up to the level of Jack Steven it's going to be pretty important because it's going to be Lenny Hayes' last year, he's in the twilight of his career, so it's a big ask for him to keep performing the way he has over a long period."

SYDNEY SWANS – LEO BARRY

"Everyone talks about Buddy, but Kurt Tippett only played part of the year and it took him a little bit longer to get his form back after missing 11 games. He'll be crucial to the Swans' push into the finals series. He was able to kick 35 goals in the limited games he did have this year and having Franklin in the forward line as well will alleviate some of the reliance on him to kick all the goals. And then in the midfield I think you have to look at Luke Parker. He had a really consistent year, he's a fantastic in-and-under midfielder who won the Swans' most improved last year. With the loss of Jude Bolton, I think he'll be the other player that the club internally will look at to take another step andbecome a real elite midfielder like Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack."

WEST COAST – GLEN JAKOVICH

"I think the way the game has been demonstrated the last couple of years, the ability to transition, run and carry the ball, Andrew Gaff is the one I'm looking forward to in his third year. He had a bit more attention last year but he certainly can be destructive with his run and carry and is a great user of the ball. I think Adam Simpson would want him running forward of the play with the ball and delivering to the forward line." 

WESTERN BULLDOGS – BRAD JOHNSON

"Michael Talia has shown the ability to win his own ball throughout his young career to date, but what I have been impressed with, is how well he has developed his defensive game under the guidance of Rohan Smith and Matthew Scarlett."