ST KILDA will unveil another debutant on Friday night against Brisbane, with defender Arie Schoenmaker named for his first senior game.
The 194cm Tasmanian made an impact in his draft year with his booming left boot, but slid to No.62 in the draft after an interrupted 2023 that included being hit with a 10-week suspension by the Tasmania Devils for an alcohol-related incident on a pre-season training camp.
Having made an impact at VFL level for Sandringham this season, the 19-year-old has been picked to face the Lions, with Dougal Howard ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
He will follow Darcy Wilson, Lance Collard, Angus Hastie and Hugo Garcia in making his AFL debut at the Saints this season.
Speaking to AFL.com.au last November ahead of the draft, Schoenmaker said the fallout from his 10-week ban by the Devils was the wake-up call he needed.
"The incident was definitely an eye-opener for me, but it has honestly set me up now as a person. I learnt so much from that experience," he said
"I'm not happy that it happened – I wish I had more footy at the start of the season – but as a person and trying to fix your values and trying to become better off-field, I think it happened at the perfect time, to be honest, rather than happening when I got into the system or in the back half of the year.
"I feel like it made me figure out this is what it is going to take for me to get to the next level and that's how bad I wanted it. There is obviously standards and professional drive that you need to have to get to the next level. It made me work out what you have to have if you're going to get there."
