Less than a month away from the opening game of the 2024 AFL season, clubs are beginning to get a strong idea of how they'll line-up to start the new premiership race.
With the early stages of the season comes plenty of debuts, with top draftees, second-year talents and long-serving sidemen eager to get their first taste of AFL action.
Every club is likely to blood new names this year, with some expected and others to come from the clouds for what will be a memorable occasion in their careers.
We've looked at the first-year rookies and those still waiting for a debut at each club to identify which players have the best chance of playing their maiden AFL match in 2024.
Western Bulldogs
Rookies:ย Lachlan Smith, Aiden O'Driscoll, Joel Freijah, Jordan Croft, Ryley Sanders
Still waiting:ย Harvey Gallagher, Charlie Clarke, Jedd Busslinger
Most likely to debut in 2024:ย Top 2023 draft selection Ryley Sanders has continued to leave onlookers in awe this pre-season and could be a persistent centre bounce attendee this year alongside club greats Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore. Second-year utility Harvey Gallagher is another name to keep an eye on, with the long-kicking youngster able to play across all three lines of the field. Second-year key defender Jedd Busllinger should be ready for an AFL debut if required as the Dogs look to settle on their tall backline options.
