COLLINGWOOD'S top draftee Isaac Quaynor will make his much-anticipated debut against Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night.
Magpie coach Nathan Buckley informed Quaynor, 19, about his promotion in front of his teammates before training on Wednesday.
"I think you must have had a bit of a sniff, mate – you've got your hair cut for it and all," Buckley joked in reference to the lifelong Pies' fan replacing his previous mop of hair with a shorter style.
.@ncb_cfc revealed some exciting news this morning... pic.twitter.com/5zGXCZnrz1
— Collingwood FC (@CollingwoodFC) July 3, 2019
A proud Quaynor admitted he didn't expect the call-up just yet, despite the fact a close friend had dreamt about it.
"I'm excited to get an opportunity and play my first game for Collingwood. It came as a bit of a surprise but I'm looking forward to getting out onto the MCG and playing my role for the team," he told the club website.
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"Funnily enough, my mate had a dream about 10 days ago that I would debut against Hawthorn. It's pretty crazy how it's all happened."
Quaynor, who is set to become Collingwood's first debutant for the season, has averaged 19 disposals and four tackles in 10 VFL games, with a best effort of 27 touches.
In his most recent outing, in a 23-point win over Footscray at Whitten Oval, he collected 22 possessions and kicked the first goal at VFL level.
The 180cm playmaker has modelled himself on Western Bulldogs speedster Jason Johannisen and Melbourne stopper Neville Jetta, and his promotion addresses a need for speed and run-and-carry for the second-placed Pies, who have seemed one-paced of late.
From the moment he joined the club Quaynor has impressed his coaches and teammates with his dedication, professionalism and training standards. A common refrain during the pre-season was that he was "readymade" for AFL football.
Runner-up in Oakleigh Chargers' best and fairest last year, Quaynor was an All Australian after performing strongly for Vic Metro in the NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.
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He also won the goalkicking test at the NAB AFL Draft Combine after posting the only perfect score, which he dismissed as "an absolute fluke".
Quaynor qualified for Collingwood's Next Generation Academy because his father was born in the west African nation of Ghana.