ROUND one saw some inspired debuts as the game's future stars burst onto the scene in first-up appearances. 

No.1 pick Sam Lalor lit up the 'G to help lift the Tigers to the unlikeliest of victories; Lions father-son Levi Ashcroft's performance was that of someone who had played 100 games, not one; while Murphy Reid's third-quarter cameo that produced four goals in six minutes for Fremantle was one for the ages.

So, it got us thinking - who's had the best debut for your club since the turn of the century? Check it out.

Josh Rachele v Fremantle, round one, 2022

In one of the most impactful debuts this century, Josh Rachele was unveiled by the Crows at the first opportunity and booted five goals in a supreme performance that had it all. The small forward had eight score involvements among his 14 touches but ran the other way with 15 pressure acts. The Crows' one-point loss is remembered for Heath Chapman's score-saving spoil, but Rachele was the player that put the Crows in a position to win. The No.6 draft selection snapped a goal with his first kick in the AFL, and his fifth in the fourth term felt like the match winner if not for a late Freo rally. Riley Thilthorpe is another Adelaide forward to boot five goals on debut in a memorable introduction to the AFL. – Nathan Schmook

Jared Brennan v Collingwood, round four, 2003

After winning the 2002 premiership – the club's second straight – Brisbane granted the wish of Des Headland to return to Western Australia and play Fremantle. Its compensation? Pick number three at that year's draft, which led to the recruitment of freakish athletic Northern Territorian Jared Brennan. The wiry teenager with the incredible vertical leap made a stunning debut on Easter Thursday against the Magpies, kicking a goal from 55 among his 14 disposals and picking the ball up one-handed like it was an orange. Not huge numbers, but a performance to live long in the memory bank. – Michael Whiting

Andrew Walker v West Coast, round five, 2004

Few debuts have dazzled quite like Walker's. Making his first AFL appearance still just 17 years of age, Carlton's No.1 tore a strong West Coast side apart playing on a wing at Princes Park. He finished with 26 disposals, nine marks, five inside-50s and two goal assists, displaying the type of composure and clean skills that defined his 202-game Blues career. Walker nearly capped the day with a Mark of the Year contender – another aspect of his game that he came to be remembered by throughout his days in a Carlton jumper – but unfortunately dropped his leaping attempt on the way down. Even still, Walker earned the umpires' attention and claimed his first Brownlow vote as well. – Riley Beveridge

Mark McGough v Hawthorn, round four, 2002

Everyone remembers the Anzac Day Medal in his second game at the age of 17, but the week before, Mark McGough fired on debut against Hawthorn. Before that famous performance against Essendon, the Northcote High student collected two Brownlow votes in his first game after collecting 22 disposals and kicking two goals at the MCG. – Josh Gabelich

Nic Martin v Geelong, round one, 2022

A month before the Bombers' opener in 2022, Nic Martin wasn't even on their list. But on an otherwise forgettable Saturday afternoon for Essendon at the MCG, the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) signing showed he could be a star of the future. Martin had 27 disposals and kicked five of the Bombers' 11 goals in a remarkable debut that earned him a Rising Star nomination, despite the Cats recording a thumping 66-point win. Now 23, Martin has become a key player for Essendon, showing he can impact in all areas of the ground as he continues to improve. – Dejan Kalinic

Michael Barlow v Adelaide, round one, 2010

A mature-age rookie recruit at 22, Barlow was a revelation when he racked up a game-high 33 disposals and two goals in his debut game. Making an immediate debut after impressing through his first pre-season, Barlow proved to be a tough and hardened midfielder who could win the contested ball, quickly earning attention from opposition taggers. Among the best debuts by a midfielder, Barlow used his running power and ability to draw the football at Subiaco Oval and led the Dockers to a 56-point win. Ryan Nyuis and recent debutant Murphy Reid each kicked four goals on debut to make big impacts. – Nathan Schmook 

Tim Kelly v Melbourne, round one, 2018

Kelly's first AFL outing showed exactly why coach Chris Scott was unfazed about letting Steven Motlop head to Port Adelaide at the end of the previous season. The 23-year-old from WA racked up 27 disposals, four clearances and a goal in a thrilling three-point win over the Demons, and more than held his own in a midfield that also featured champions Gary Ablett jnr and Joel Selwood. It was the start of two brilliant seasons at the Cattery, before Kelly and his family sought a trade to West Coast to be closer to their own support networks in WA. Not far behind Kelly's stunning opener were Sam Menegola (26 touches, five tackles, five clearances) in 2016 and Tom Hawkins (eight disposals, seven kicks, six marks, five scoring shots and three goals) in 2007. – Michael Rogers

Izak Rankine v Melbourne, round six, 2020

After being taken with the third pick in the 2018 AFL Draft, Rankine had to wait until mid-2020 to debut following hamstring and hip injuries wiping out his first season, and COVID-19 the start of his second. The dynamic small forward made the wait more than worthwhile though, with three stunning goals against the Demons at Engie Stadium in western Sydney. The first goal came after he bounced the footy like a basketball back to himself, then stepped James Harmes and snapped truly from 30m within half a second. It was a window into the entertaining career that is still only midway through finishing. – Michael Whiting

Jacob Hopper v Gold Coast, round eight, 2016

Having progressed through a talented Giants Academy program, Hopper's long-awaited debut was worth the wait. The hard-nosed midfielder produced the type of performance that club officials had long been expecting from him. Matched against Gary Ablett jnr, the teenager finished with 32 disposals, 17 contested possessions, nine clearances, eight score involvements and seven inside-50s in a dominant inside midfield display. Stiff to miss Brownlow votes, given the nature of his performance, Hopper would quickly establish himself as a key member of the Giants' midfield and later earned his spot in the club's September team which narrowly lost a preliminary final to the Bulldogs. – Riley Beveridge

Jai Newcombe v Sydney, round 13, 2021

Talk about bursting onto the scene! Taken with pick No.2 in the 2021 mid-season draft after an impressive run of form with Box Hill, the midfield bull played his first game nine days later on Friday night against Sydney at the SCG. And didn't he deliver. Looking right at home, Newcombe broke the AFL record for most tackles in a debut game with 14, as well as gathering 13 disposals, seven contested possessions, four clearances and three inside 50s. It was a sign of things to come for the man from Poowong, who won Hawthorn's best and fairest award last year. Beau Muston had three knee reconstructions before even playing a game but made up for lost time with a stellar debut in 2009 when he had 31 touches, 10 marks and a massive goal from outside 50 near the boundary line. Sadly, he would play only 13 AFL games before injury derailed his career. – Brandon Cohen

Clayton Oliver v Greater Western Sydney, round one, 2016

The draft bolter was unveiled by the Dees at the first opportunity following his selection with pick No.4 in 2015 and he didn't disappoint. In a two-point win in round one against Greater Western Sydney, a fresh-faced Oliver came off the bench and immediately went into the middle for the centre bounce, pushing off Toby Greene to win the clearance and kick the ball forward. In a sign of things to come for the 184-gamer, Oliver feasted on the contested ball, particularly in the first half where he won 11 contested possessions and five clearances, finishing with 22 touches (15 contested) and seven clearances from only 58 per cent game time. So outstanding was his maiden hitout that he earned that week's Rising Star nomination and polled two Brownlow votes in a debut for the ages. Heart and soul Demon Jack Viney debuted in the thick of the Demons' darkest days in 2013, finishing with 22 touches (16 contested), six clearances and a goal to be a shining light in his side's demoralising 79-point round one defeat to Port Adelaide. – Alison O'Connor

Harry Sheezel v West Coast, round one, 2023

It was a special day and a special debut for a special player. Sheezel's 34 disposals was the most in a first game since Greg Williams had 38 on debut back in 1984. It complemented a performance where the teenager had nine marks, 631m gained and six intercepts. What made his display even more special was the fact Sheezel had barely played half-back until an intraclub match only a few weeks before when he was trialled in the role. But he looked a natural in his defensive post, helping to inspire North Melbourne to a thrilling five-point victory over West Coast. Sheezel earned Brownlow votes in his first two appearances, repeating the trick against Fremantle the next week, and also went on to win the club's best and fairest in his maiden AFL season. – Riley Beveridge

Ollie Wines v Melbourne, round one, 2013

It was the symbolism as much as the numbers that made Wines’ debut so memorable for Port and its supporters. After a disastrous 2012 that saw coach Matthew Primus sacked amidst a five-win season, a new era under Ken Hinkley began with the No.7 pick, Wines. In round one of 2013, Port Adelaide blasted Melbourne by 79 points on the MCG, with its new inside midfielder starring with 24 disposals, that included a match-high 16 contested possessions, and a goal. It would start a long era of contention for the club with the same coach and eventual Brownlow medallist at the core. – Michael Whiting

Marlion Pickett v GWS, Grand Final, 2019

The first player to have debuted in a V/AFL Grand Final in 67 years, Pickett showed incredible composure and slotted in perfectly on the big stage. Rotating between the forward line and midfield after Jack Graham suffered a shoulder injury the week prior, the 27-year-old mid-season draftee recorded 22 disposals and a blind turn in the middle of the MCG. He even converted a memorable set shot, which drew arguably the loudest cheer of the day. Only Bachar Houli recorded more Tiger touches than Pickett, and the midfielder received Norm Smith medal votes from three of the five judges, finishing third behind Dustin Martin and Houli. Honourable mention to Dean Polo, whose 28-disposal, three-goal debut in the 2006 Dreamtime at the 'G match has gone down in Tiger history. – Sarah Black

Jack Hayes v Collingwood, round one, 2022

St Kilda fans are no strangers to cult heroes – especially ones with the surname Hayes - and Jack Hayes will forever be a piece of Saints folklore thanks to his thrilling three-goal, one-Brownlow vote performance against Collingwood just two weeks after signing on with the Saints in 2022. Tall, lanky and mulleted, Hayes caught the eye before he even touched the ball, with the 25-year-old almost singlehandedly bringing St Kilda back into the game during the third quarter. Hayes' star burned bright for five games in 2022 before he was felled by an ACL injury, and he was never able to get back to his best. But we'll always have round one, 2022. – Sophie Welsh

Ryan Fitzgerald v St Kilda, round one, 2000

Before Ryan Fitzgerald became known across the country as 'Fitzy', he was a promising young key forward from South Australia who dominated on debut for Sydney. The No.4 pick in 1998, Fitzgerald kicked five goals against St Kilda in the opening round of a new century, while he also claimed five marks and had nine disposals. He kicked another six goals across his next two games, but crippling knee injuries restricted him to just 18 games at the top level before he embarked on a successful media career. – Martin Smith

Chris Judd v Collingwood, round two, 2002

The champion midfielder played his one and only WAFL game as an 18-year-old before an exciting AFL debut that showcased his acceleration, stoppage strength, and a sidestep that bamboozled opponents. He was clean at ground level from the very start and set up several goals with his skill, barely wasting a possession and kicking the first goal of his career in the fourth quarter. The young star finished with 19 disposals (12 contested), six inside 50s and five clearances. It was a debut full of little moments, like a tap along the ground in traffic to get the ball to his own advantage, that suggested he would be a special player. – Nathan Schmook

Jason Tutt v Port Adelaide, round 22, 2011

Hard to go past the highest playing ratings debut since 2010. Jason Tutt literally burst out of the blocks on debut, kicking four goals from 26 disposals against the Power on a Sunday afternoon at the old Football Park. He claimed a Brownlow vote in the 60-point win and etched himself into Western Bulldogs history with a phenomenal debut. Tutt ended up playing another 25 times for the club, before adding 14 appearances during a stint with Carlton. – Josh Gabelich