ROB Scott and Paul Hurst's plans for an 18-man squad could be great news for Grimsby Town's young guns.
The Mariners joint bosses have confirmed that they intend to choose quality over quantity for next season's title push.
The arrival of the two 'Scotts' – Kerr and Neilson – offers evidence of this, and also shows that the co-managers will be happy to take their chances when it comes to injuries and suspensions.
As I mentioned last week, the loan market will be crucial in filling any gaps in the squad throughout a long season.
But this shift in focus could also be a welcome development for Town's Youth-teamers.
Last term, only Josh Morrall got close to the Mariners' first-team picture, when he was named among the seven substitutes for the FA Cup defeat to Kidderminster Harriers in October.
The full-back didn't make it onto the pitch – and neither did any of his team-mates from the Youth set-up throughout the whole season.
That none of Adam Smith's youngsters were required to 'fill out the bench' at any other stage shows that the Mariners certainly had strength in numbers.
But it may have also limited the young guns' development.
All the second-year trainees, including Morrall, have since been released by the club.
And, although they had occasional Reserve outings to test themselves against the men, chances to impress were few and fair between.
Maybe last year's crop of Youth-teamers just weren't good enough to earn professional deals either way.
But it looks certain that the second-year class of 2013/14 are destined to have more opportunities to supplement the first-team squad – and improve as a result.
Defender Hamish Falconer had a taster last summer when he was drafted in for some of the Mariners' pre-season action.
And, along with his mates, the big centre-half will be desperate to test himself against the senior pros once again.
The future of the Reserve team also remains in doubt after Town's frustrating return to second-string action last season.
Matches were too infrequent and often solely consisted of Youth- teamers from other clubs, making the whole exercise a little pointless for all involved.
So the chance to be Town's fourth or fifth sub at times next season, and maybe even get 10-15 minutes on the pitch could be a god-send for the club's young talent.
Seeing a homegrown player involved always gives the fans a boost – and it certainly didn't do the likes of Ryan Bennett any harm.
And even Premier League giants, like Manchester United and Chelsea, have to fill their bench with Youth-teamers occasionally.
It would be a promising sign for the future if we saw a similar sight at BP next season.
