An AFL debut 880 days in the making.
Sam Mitchell was a teammate of Will McCabe's Dad, Luke, from 2002 until 2004 and will coach Will 22 years later.
He will line up in attack alongside Calsher Dear, 30 years after Luke McCabe and Paul Dear ran around for the Hawks together. Finn Magginess is an emergency for the game, and his Dad, Scott, is also a former teammate of Luke's, who is now on Hawthorn's board.
Ironically, Dear and McCabe will essentially be competing against each other this week to stay in the team, with Jack Gunston set to return in Round 7, while Mabior Chol's medium-term injury leaves a gap for one of those players to get a more extended run in the lineup.
A four-goal Round 1 VFL performance against Sydney showed that he had taken a step forward after two full seasons at VFL level.
While quieter in the subsequent fortnight, he still showed traits transferable to the top level.
“Will worked really hard throughout the day to get up the ground and into open space,” VFL coach David Mirra said of his most recent game.
“He had 17 uncontested possessions, which speaks to his work rate. He had nice moments in the third quarter to cut out their attack with a spoil and then a nice lead, mark and goal from 50 metres.”
He also got exposure on the wing last year, showcasing his strong running power - which was his standout asset when he was selected with a top 20 pick in 2023 - alongside his field kicking.
It was never likely to be his long-term position, but it provided him with important development and gave him the confidence to get up the ground and impact, as he will be expected to do at the AFL level.
There is a sentiment from some that Aidan Schubert should have got the nod ahead of McCabe after his six-goal half in Box Hill's last VFL game - but one has been on the list for nigh-on three years, the other for six months.
Schubert's time will come, and the Hawks need to know what McCabe can do - and a lowly Port Adelaide gives him a great introduction at the level.
And there's something to be said for giving key-position players time to develop in the VFL.
Just ask Liam Fawcett, who has been imposing across the past fortnight after cutting his teeth in the VFL last year while Richmond debuted their shiny new draftees.
In an admittedly under-siege and undersupplied forward line, Fawcett is playing with confidence, while Jonty Faull and Harry Armstrong are just going.
Players are entering the AFL system more ready for the top level than ever before, with a long list of players impacting early for clubs desperate to escape the mire as rebuilding has become harder than ever.
West Coast key forward Jobe Shanahan is among them, but he should be treated as the exception, not the norm, among key-position talent, who need time to grow into their bodies.
McCabe's debut will bring a smile to the face of long-time Hawthorn supporters, and his long journey to his first crack at the big league allows him to enter with all the tools and development.
Now to see if he has the skill to be a long-term player.
