Brendan Fevola kicks eight goals in an exhibition match in Darwin at the weekend, and half a dozen AFL club recruiters are forced to reconsider their once cast-iron position regarding the exiled, trouble-prone full-forward.

Not so long ago, they had lined up, one after the other, to ridicule any suggestion they'd be interested in taking on the man-child and muck-up menace. They almost sniffed down their noses in discussing Fev as if they were flicking a bit of dog poo off their shoe.   

But now, well, realpolitik has set in. Principles - once set in stone - are now looking distinctly rubbery. Non-negotiable positions are being reviewed.

You can almost hear their in-house discussions now: 'Could it maybe, just possibly, work if we took a chance on him ...'? Good full-forwards are hard to find, after all. And aren't we in the business of winning games?

It's been interesting to watch the clubs' stance change over the course of the year. To begin with, Fevola was a lost cause, an overweight no-hoper who could not even attract the interest of a VFL club. Then Casey Scorpions took a punt on him, a strategy that looked as big a risk as Fev's waistline, which at that time was humungous.    

But the former Carlton champ, who once wore Jezza's No.25 with distinction, slowly began to find his feet, and form. And the goals began to pile up: four here, half a dozen there, till by season's end he'd racked up 69 in total.  

And that's the point which makes this topic such a fascinating one: good full-forwards are hard to find. There aren't many players in the AFL who can be guaranteed to kick 50 or 60 goals a season if left near the goalsquare. Fevola is one of the few. 

As such, he's a valuable commodity. Even if he is 30 and has a list of priors as long as his tattooed arm.

GWS coach Kevin Sheedy has mirrored the change in attitude towards Fevola. In August, he told Channel Seven: "I don't think we'd be going for Fev." 

Barely a month later, after Fevola's scorching end to the year, Sheeds and team GWS appeared to have a change of heart. Declaring Fev to be 'a nice person', Sheedy said he has spoken to the exiled former Carlton and Brisbane goal-kicker but would leave a decision about his possible drafting to management.

He would know as well as anyone that 100-goal full-forwards are rarely on the market - let alone for the minumum match payments which is all that Fevola reportedly wants.

Those footy buffs with an eye for history will recall a similar charade involving another disgraced champion.

When Wayne Carey resigned from North Melbourne in March 2002 after his affair was revealed with Kelli Stevens - wife of his vice-captain and close friend Anthony - he became an untouchable, a pariah, in the football community.

One club after another issued sanctimonious statements about how they weren't interested in even talking to Carey, let alone drafting him.

Carey escaped overseas for much of that year, spiralled into a depression and began to drink heavily and dabble in drugs - mainly cocaine - for the first time. But towards the end of the season, the dual North Melbourne premiership captain decided he wanted to clean himself up, do what he was good at and play football again. So he got his manager to put the word out that he was interested in strapping on the boots in 2003. 

Well, guess what happened next? Clubs got knocked down in the stampede as they rushed to secure Carey's signature. The heat had gone out of the Carey debate, and cold reality had set in: a champion centre half-forward was on the market.

Hawthorn made a slick presentation to Carey, which was attended by president Ian Dicker and coach Peter Schwab, and he was given a Hawks guernsey with No.18 on the back.

Essendon was next to make its pitch. Sheedy and eight senior players welcomed Carey to the club; the coach then switched on a projector and on came a highlight reel which showed Carey kicking goal after goal against the Bombers, against whom he had a stellar record. After the film had ended, Sheedy said: "That's why we wanto to get you to the club.'' Full-back Dustin Fletcher, who'd been on the receiving end of more than one Carey flogging, piped up: "Yeah. I'd be happy with that, too.'' 

Then Collingwood came calling, with Eddie McGuire and Mick Malthouse paying Carey a visit in the dead of night - so as not to attract attention - at his Port Melbourne apartment. McGuire went on the charm offensive, saying: 'The number of times you flogged us was ridiculous. We would just love you in our corner now, wearing the black and white.'

Then it was the turn of Sydney and Adelaide to make their persuasive pitches. In the end, Carey was beating them away with a stick - these same clubs who six months earlier said they wanted nothing to do with him.

I think much the same thing will happen with Fevola. He won't attract the level of interest that Carey did, but a few clubs will come calling. And Sheedy's GWS is likely to be among them. You can almost guarantee it.