(Ryan Withers is an AFL fan, freelance writer and BPL Citizen Journalist)

In the past few months, the AFL has seen a young side brimming with talent, Gold Coast, torn to bits by the bigger bodies of the league heavyweights. Now, with Greater Western Sydney due to make its debut next year, the league's 18th team should be looking beyond this year's draft to build a side to survive its inaugural year. 

After only seven rounds, the Suns' recruitment plan has been questioned by many. It isn't working - not right now at least. But with a four-year youth plan, the Suns should be well within reach of a premiership.

This plan, however, does have its drawbacks. The most obvious being the utter confidence-killing losses that its players have endured so far. Granted, the Suns do have two wins on the board but, in between drubbings from Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne and the Bulldogs, the Gold Coast boys have been shown the tough reality of AFL footy. 

Having said this, the Gold Coast will survive. Supporters will pile into their newly built Metricon Stadium and as the team grows in maturity, and success becomes more common, the AFL's 17th team will become stable. After all, in their inaugural season the Suns already have over 12,000 members.

The AFL's 18th club is another story entirely. 

While the Gold Coast has a history with Australian football, the Bears in the 1980s and the perennial QAFL premiers Southport Sharks, western Sydney does not. With the Giants based in century-old rugby league territory, the need for early success is paramount - and why copying the Suns four-year plan is not an option. For this very reason, competitions such as the VFL will be essential for the Giants' immediate success. 

Sure, the club will pick up a few AFL stars here and there, but it's in the mature, older bodies of the state-based leagues that the Giants will really gain their strength. Even with hardened bodies like Bock, Hunt, Ablett and Brennan, Gold Coast still haven't got the balance quite right.

With the emergence of mature-age debutants such as Stuart Crameri, Aaron Edwards, James Podsiadly and Michael Barlow, the Giants must now realise that the conventional talent pools may not be the only place to look for talent. 

Crameri has surprised many in the AFL community this season with his breakout performances. But Essendon did not find him in the draft, they found him in the Bendigo Bombers. Aaron Edwards has proven to be more than handy for the Kangaroos over the past few seasons; they found him playing for the Frankston Dolphins. But where is the next star coming from? 

Ten years ago, a team like the Giants would have jumped on a player like Nick Sautner who for years dominated the VFL with Sandringham, winning the 'Frosty' Miller Medal (most goals kicked) nine times.

If the Giants are looking for ready-made talent now, they need only look to the 2010 J.J. Liston Medal-winning Shane Valenti who, after being dropped by the Demons in 2009, went on to excel at Port Melbourne. If the Giants don't look at a guy like this, you can be assured someone else will. 

This is not to say that GWS won't pick up its fair share of future talent in the draft - it will.

But in a market as fierce and fickle as western Sydney, the Giants cannot get off to a slow, unsuccessful start. That will cruel any chance they have of making an immediate impact in rugby league's heartland. Players like Valenti, however, might just help them get some wins on the board in season No.1.