ON HIS 1718th day as an AFL player and after countless hamstring injuries, injury-cursed St Kilda midfielder Nathan Freeman will finally make his debut against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night at Etihad Stadium.

Freeman, 23, has been sidelined numerous times throughout his career because of issues with his right hamstring in particular.

Since he had an operation on the muscle in February, when a defect was found and fixed, the former Magpie hasn't had any problems with soft-tissue injuries.

Freeman was drafted at No.10 in 2013 by Collingwood and in his time there, managed one pre-season game in each of his first two years.

Every other top-10 selection since Luke Molan, taken by Melbourne with pick nine in the 2001 AFL National Draft, has played their first match.

The determined speedster flew to Germany at the end of 2016, and then at his own expense 12 months later, for treatment from renowned expert Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt, who has worked with sprinting legend Usain Bolt and soccer giant Bayern Munich.

His most recent injury was to his left shoulder in May that will require surgery at season's end.

Since then, Freeman has lined up in seven straight matches for Sandringham, the most recent of which saw him rack up 37 disposals against Box Hill.

He was drafted at No.10 in 2013 by Collingwood and in his time there, managed one pre-season game in each of his first two years.

At the end of 2015, Freeman was traded to the Saints for a selection in the following year's NAB AFL Draft, while the two clubs also swapped picks in the 60s.

Freeman is out of contract at season's end.

He would probably have made his debut late in 2017 had it not been for a right ankle syndesmosis issue that ended his year.