CALEB Poulter was meant to stay for a week but ended up living with the Crisps for more than two and a half years.

The South Australian moved in not long after Collingwood selected him in the second round of the 2020 AFL Draft and was still living with dual Copeland Trophy winner Jack Crisp and his family for months after his AFL career looked over when the Magpies delisted him last October.

But now the 20-year-old with the poster-boy mullet is not only back in the AFL system, but back in action. 

Just a month after earning a lifeline with the Western Bulldogs, Poulter landed his first shot in Luke Beveridge's side last weekend against Fremantle.

Now Poulter will face the club that cut him last year, and face someone he considers a brother at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.

"It was almost like a proud dad moment (watching Poulter return) after seeing all the struggles that he was going through at home last year. To see him go through it was hard as a family," Crisp told AFL.com.au this week. 

"I'd never had to do anything like that. Sam [Poulter's partner] was great. To see him pull through and see the light at the other end of the tunnel and get to work, then get the reward for work was a surreal moment. Now to have the opportunity to play against him just a few weeks in is pretty cool. Nonetheless, when you cross the white line it's on."

Inside the Crisp household, Poulter is considered a big brother to Jack and Mikayla's daughters, Lilah (aged five) and Sloane (three). Poulter's girlfriend, Sam Guggenheimer, is also part of this big family. 

"The way he was with the girls at home it was like he was a big brother to them," Crisp said. "I'm 10 years older than him, so I probably see him almost as a son. Having him at home was so good, I got to have another male in the house. We got to hang out a fair bit, whether it was golf or going to the movies, which I really enjoyed. The girls loved it, I loved it."

When Poulter was left without an AFL home last October, the Woodville-West Torrens product didn't attract much interest and needed to make a calculated decision if he was going to land another opportunity. 

Footscray has launched and relaunched the careers of more than a handful of players recently – Tony Scott, Will Hayes, Billy Gowers, Mitch Hannan, Jordan Boyd, Robbie McComb, Ryan Gardner and Cody Raak – so Poulter headed down to the Whitten Oval with a plan to graduate from VFL coach Stewart Edge's after-hours program to AFL mentor Luke Beveridge's business-hours program. 

"I just put a really strict plan in place," Poulter said. "I knew the rich history of Footscray and players getting drafted to the Western Bulldogs and other clubs. They also had a list spot open at the start of the year. I knew if I went there and put my best foot forward at the start of the year, maybe I would be a chance mid-season. But nothing is for sure."

The Western Bulldogs were the only club to enquire about Poulter ahead of the Mid-Season Rookie Draft. But you only need one club. Poulter was included in the 26-man squad at the end of his second week on the rookie list, before being picked to play at the end of his first month.

After proving that he can still perform at the level against the Dockers at Marvel Stadium last Saturday, Poulter wants to back it up against the side that opted not to keep him late last year.

"I definitely have a point to prove," Poulter said during an interview outside the AIA Centre on Wednesday night. 

"I worked really hard throughout 2021 and 2022 to get the opportunities. It didn't work out but that doesn't mean I can't come to another club and give it my best shot. I definitely have a point to prove to the coaches that didn't let it happen at the end of the day.

"I put a lot of work in over the last eight or nine months. I am only 20 at the end of the day, so I definitely feel like I've got a point to prove at AFL level."

After the two best seasons of his career that culminated in back-to-back best and fairest awards and selection in last year's All-Australian squad – after finishing third in 2019 and 2020 – Crisp has been moved around in 2023 to accommodate the arrival of Tom Mitchell, the rise of Jordan De Goey and Nick Daicos' transition from half-back to midfield. 

The 29-year-old has handled moving between half-back, half-forward, inside mid and wing roles like the seasoned pro he is. But it means Crisp is likely to spend time on Poulter on Friday night, with Steele Sidebottom still at least one more week away from returning from injury.

"Since Steele has gone out I've played more wing as the third wing role alongside Josh Daicos and Will Hoskin-Elliott. Chances are I'll line up on him this week. I'll be seeing what wing he goes to and I'll be going straight to it," Crisp said.

"It does get hard at times because when you swap roles it can get confusing on game day. It is still good, we're playing some really good football, everyone is playing their role. We aren't reliant on anyone, which is what you want to be as a team."

Poulter has looked up to Crisp for nearly three years, learning the small things that only experience teaches you, observing the level of professionalism that has propelled Crisp to a remarkable 203 consecutive games, putting him now within realistic distance of Jim Stynes' record of 244 in a row.

But despite the strong bond between the pair and the appreciation for everything Crisp has done for him, Poulter will be parking the love for one night only. 

"I actually didn't know he'd been playing on the wing," Poulter said." I'd love to tackle him. To catch him holding the ball would be nice. He is a great player. It would be a full circle playing against Collingwood and playing against him."