NORTH Melbourne will unveil its prized No.1 draft pick Jason Horne-Francis for his AFL debut in Sunday's season-opener against Hawthorn.
The club informed Horne-Francis of the decision on Thursday morning, with coach David Noble bringing his parents into the room via a phone call before revealing the exciting news.
Following a stunning summer on the track, which featured successive starring performances in pre-season games against Melbourne and Sydney, the club made it clear Horne-Francis had earned his position in the side for the clash at the MCG.
"He was getting a bit teary," Noble said.
"It means a lot to him. You shouldn't underestimate it, just because he's a first pick there's the expectation that it just occurs. He's a down to earth, level-headed young man and he was very excited.
"He was grateful we had his mum and dad on the call. We gave him some time on his own to chat to them. Mum was a bit teary, but it was great. It was tears of joy. Dad was obviously very proud."
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The Kangaroos also informed new recruit Hugh Greenwood that he would play on Sunday, but the club is still debating as to whether fellow trade acquisition Callum Coleman-Jones lines up against the Hawks.
Tristan Xerri has made a solid case to partner veteran Todd Goldstein in the ruck, though Coleman-Jones' ability to play as a forward means Noble will be left with a decision as to whether the team plays with two or three talls.
"I think we can (play with three)," Noble said.
"We've wrestled with yes we can, no we can't. How do you rotate? What happens if you end up with three mids down in the forward end? All of those combinations come into it. Can you just play one as a forward? That's the other discussion.
"If Charlie Comben was in the mix, you'd look at that as an alternative. Would you still be considering two other rucks with Charlie in the team? Look, it's possible. Whether or not it's practical enough for us, we'll have to get through the next 24 hours."
North Melbourne will also have veteran defender Aaron Hall available for the match against Hawthorn, after the running half-back recovered from a hamstring injury sustained in an intraclub match last month.
"He got through a couple of really big loads the previous Saturday," Noble said.
"He then trained fully on Friday and had no problems and he'll train again today. We've almost got two full weeks of training into him. So he'll be available."
