Sydney is set to name three debutants for the grand final rematch against the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
Will Hayward, Robbie Fox and Nic Newman are all in line to face the Bulldogs, after all three players were reportedly told throughout the week they would make their debuts on Friday.
Hayward was selected with pick 21 in the 2016 AFL National Draft by the Swans, while Fox and Newman were picked up from VFL clubs Coburg and Frankston respectively and have been upgraded from the rookie list.
The 19-year-old draftee told sydneyswans.com.au he "couldn't be happier" when he was told that he would be playing this weekend.
“It came a bit earlier than I expected, but I couldn’t be happier,” Hayward said.
“I knew there was a spot up from grabs with Tom Papley and Gary Rohan down. During pre-season I tried to work on forward pressure a lot.
I was watching Ollie (Florent’s) debut very closely last week and my eyes lit up every time he got the ball. It was great to watch.”
Newman was also excited when he was given the news, and believes he has what it takes to make the jump onto the AFL stage.
“Being here a couple of years, I think I know everything pretty well. I’m confident in my ability to go out there and play my role,” Newman said.
