BULLDOG great Luke Darcy says he wouldn't be opposed to giving teenage ruckman Tim English a baptism of fire against Collingwood in round one.
With No.1 big man Jordan Roughead sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Tom Campbell battling an ankle complaint, coach Luke Beveridge recently declared the 19-year-old was in the frame to make his debut against the Magpies.
Darcy was 19 when he debuted in the ruck for Dogs in 1994, and wouldn't be surprised if Beveridge – a teammate on that memorable day - picked the talented 207cm West Australian.
The Dogs couldn't call out English's name quick enough when he was available at pick No.19 in last year's NAB AFL Draft.
"I think Tim's ability to run and cover the ground will hold him in good stead, and the fact other sides wouldn't have had a good look at him," Darcy told AFL.com.au.
"Knowing 'Bevo', I don't think he would have any issues giving him a game in round one if he thought Tim could do the job.
"The maturity of the draftees these days suggest to me a debut for Tim is very possible."
While he's yet to see him play in the flesh, Darcy is excited with what he's seen on English's highlight reel.
Despite being an All Australian ruckman himself, Darcy has implored English to study former Eagle Dean Cox, the toughest opponent he encountered across 226 games in the red, white and blue.
Even in a 2006 premiership team that boasted Brownlow medallists Chris Judd and Ben Cousins, Darcy believes Cox's influence as an extremely mobile follower shouldn't be underestimated.
"If you're a young athletic ruckman like Dean was, you’d be getting his tape out, because that's how you go about playing in the ruck," Darcy said.
"I'd argue Dean Cox was West Coast's most important player during the mid 2000s, and the best ruckman the game has seen in the last 20 years, so it's exciting for the Dogs to have someone that plays like him.
"An athletic ruckman that plays like another midfielder and can also dominate around the stoppages is rolled gold.
"If Tim English ends up developing the way his ability suggests, the Dogs might have got themselves a game-changing player for the next 10 years."
If he does become a dominant force over the next decade, Darcy believes English will get plenty of chances to become a premiership player like many of his new teammates.
"I'm pretty confident the Dogs will be a very strong side for the next seven or eight years," he said.
"When the coach says there are six or seven players that didn't play in the Grand Final that could easily be in the best 22, that creates great competition for spots.
"I think there's enormous improvement left in the team."
