It's been a long pre-season but with a settled and reinvigorated board, a lucrative deal tied up to play 10 games at Carrara over the next three years, and the redevelopment of Arden St underway, it's time to turn our attention to what's happening on the field. So let's take a look at 10 things Kangaroos fans can be excited about as we head into 2007:

1. Young talent time

If the team for round one is any guide, 2007 promises to be an exciting time for fans who like to see youngsters taking their first steps in the rough and tumble of AFL football. Four promising talents – Matthew Campbell, Lachlan Hansen, Matt Riggio and Lindsay Thomas – will make their AFL debuts in front of more than 50,000 people at the MCG this weekend. From the small glimpses we've seen of these guys, all look capable of having long and successful careers in the blue and white.

2. But wait, there's more!

While the team for round one features a number of exciting new faces, it's encouraging to know the club has a number of other youngsters who might push for selection before the year is out. Leigh Adams, Ben Warren, Gavin Urquhart and Todd Goldstein have all impressed over the summer, while 'older' rookies Callum Urch and Blake Grima will also push for higher honours if they can put their injury worries behind them.

3. Young ruck guns

Despite having a mere 20 games between them, Hamish McIntosh and Brad Moran have been widely acknowledged as one of the most exciting ruck combinations in the competition. McIntosh has improved in every facet of his game in his four years at the club and appears set to blossom in 2007. Moran has blown everyone away with his development since being drafted two years ago and on his two appearances last season, looks capable of being a genuine star.

4. Lachlan Hansen

A positive from the club's disastrous 2006 was its ability to access one of the brightest key position prospects to come out of country Victoria in years. By virtue of the club's consistency over the better part of the past 15 years, the Roos have largely been locked out of the early picks of the NAB AFL Draft, but recruiting guru Neville Stibbard would have been delighted to snare this strong-marking 197cm gem in last year's player lottery.

5. One door closes…

Nathan Thompson's untimely knee injury has created that classic football cliché of one door closing while another opens for a number of Roos. Can David Hale or Leigh Brown make the most of their opportunities in Thommo's absence or will Aaron Edwards seize his second chance in AFL circles? Perhaps Corey Jones will have a year that propels him into the very elite of the competition. Hopefully all four can fill the gap left by our chief goalkicker from the past two years.

6. Drew Petrie's reinvention

In a moment of inspiration in the middle of last season, Dean Laidley decided to swing his first choice ruckman to fill the troublesome position of centre half-back. Petrie took to the role so well that he stormed home to finish sixth in the Syd Barker Medal after being dropped at one stage earlier in the season. If he brings his form from the second half of 2006 into this year, some observers are suggesting the big man may be in line for All Australian honours.

7. New fitness regime = new game plan

It has been well documented that the boys did not have the fitness base to adequately cope with the evolving face of AFL football in 2006. With a change in focus in the off-season, the team is confident it can play a fast-running and attacking style of football in 2007. This has already been on display during the NAB Cup, where the Roos were the only club to score 100 points or more twice during the pre-season competition.

8. Arch is going around again

Is there any more respected name in the game? You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief from Roos fans across the country when Glenn Archer confirmed he'd be suiting up for his 16th senior AFL season. Going on his form in the pre-season, there is no reason to suggest this season should be his last. Gotta love the Arch.

9. Jesse's back

If last year's pre-season form was anything to go by, the son of club legend Ross was destined for a massive 2006. In a portent of what was to come, the potentially brightest young star on the list was dimmed before the season even began, with Smith suffering a horrendous ankle injury in the last hit-out of the pre-season. After a few hiccups, Jesse is back on track and will play his first full match of the pre-season for North Ballarat this weekend.

10. In defence of the Roos

In a similar vein to the Thompson scenario, the premature retirement of Jonathon Hay threatened to derail the defensive plans of Dean Laidley and his men. But Michael Firrito, who had an injury-interrupted 2006, Josh Gibson, on the fringes for much of last season, and Daniel Pratt, who continues to mature, formed a solid defensive unit over the duration of the NAB Cup. It's comforting to know these three will be terrorising opposition forward lines for many years to come.

The views in this story are those of the author and not necessarily those of the club