THERE will be debutants galore across the weekend as teams unveil their brightest young stars in round one.

After 12 months of anticipation, towering 2018 St Kilda draftee Max King will be unleashed at Marvel Stadium on Sunday against North Melbourne.

ALL THE TEAMS Check 'em out

King's twin brother Ben will have a trio of debutants alongside him for Gold Coast against Port Adelaide on Saturday night, led by top-two picks from last year's crop Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson.

Ken Hinkley's team will unveil fellow first rounder Mitch Georgiades at Metricon Stadium.

Share label.close Share This Video Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Copy link Link copied to clipboard Steve Hocking on shorter quarters, 17 rounds and more The AFL's footy boss, Steve Hocking, joins Damian Barrett to discuss the new-look 2020 season ahead of the season-opener

Adelaide's Fischer McAsey (No.6), Greater Western Sydney's Tom Green (No.10) and Melbourne's Kysaiah Pickett (No.12) will also play their first games.

While we see some of the most exciting teenagers start their footy journey, one of the game's biggest names has beaten the odds to take his place.

Geelong skipper Joel Selwood has overcome his nagging hamstring injury and will play against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night, while midfielder mate Mitch Duncan (hip) has also been named.

Adelaide recruit Josh Jenkins will have to watch the opening round from his couch after being left out, while the Cats have gone for Darcy Fort in the ruck over Rhys Stanley.

Zac Williams has been left out by the Giants after missing both Marsh Community Series matches.

Scott Pendlebury will lead Collingwood against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night after, as expected, he overcame a health scare earlier in the week.

The news wasn't so good for Adam Treloar, with Magpies football manager Geoff Walsh revealing the midfielder would likely miss the first two matches with a stomach virus.

Taylor Adams (hip) was passed fit, while Jaidyn Stephenson (hand) was a surprise omission, selected only as an emergency.

Interesting to note - Nathan Buckley said Jaidyn Stephenson would play yesterday just moments after he alluded to extended benches. Now named emergency @AFLcomau — Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) March 19, 2020

For the Bulldogs star young forward Aaron Naughton (knee) has been cleared to take off and will play alongside recruits Josh Bruce and Alex Keath, while Josh Schache has been left out.

Essendon has pulled a selection surprise for its match against Fremantle on Saturday, with Irishman Conor McKenna named as an emergency.

Former Lion Tom Cutler will debut for the Bombers, while ruckman Tom Bellchambers has overcome a knee injury to earn his spot.

Ex-Pie and Lion James Aish is in for the Dockers.

Rowell and Anderson won't be the only debutants for the Suns, with Academy product Connor Budarick to also play his first game, while Gold Coast skipper Jarrod Witts has recovered from a broken foot to take his place.

Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell shone in their first hit-out for the Suns ??



Check out all their game highlights against the Cats ?? pic.twitter.com/Clc97lZS6o — AFL (@AFL) February 24, 2020

Witts will face Port enforcer Scott Lycett, who has overcome an Achilles injury, while power forward Charlie Dixon (adductor) is unavailable.

Sydney has named just one ruckman to take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval, with Sam Naismith beating Callum Sinclair to the job.

Lewy Taylor and Sam Gray and will all play their first games in Swans colours, while George Hewett has been left out.

Adelaide has named Taylor Walker on the wing, while former Power big man Billy Frampton will make his club debut.

Share label.close Share This Video Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Copy link Link copied to clipboard Pull your heads in, Crows: Another Adelaide camp goes 'haywire' Ross Lyon on ANOTHER 'misstep' for the Crows, the Eagles getting caught out, and Kochie v Malthouse

Although Sunday's games are still extended 26-man squads at this stage, Melbourne has confirmed second year player Toby Bedford would join Pickett as a debutant.

The Demons' opponent West Coast have named star forward Jack Darling, who was in doubt with a cheekbone injury, while Tim Kelly is also a confirmed starter after his big off-season move from Geelong.

Grant Birchall will play his former team first up when Brisbane travels to the MCG to play Hawthorn on Sunday, while fellow recruits Callum Ah Chee and Cam Ellis-Yolmen has been left out of the Lions' squad.

Sam Frost will play his first game in Hawks colours after switching from Melbourne, while the contest will also see the return of Brownlow medalist Tom Mitchell after missing 2019 with a broken leg.

Ben Brown has been named for North Melbourne after overcoming a calf injury to take on a St Kilda side boasting all five recruits - Dan Butler, Dougal Howard, Paddy Ryder, Bradley Hill, Zak Jones - from last year's Telstra AFL Trade Period.

Share label.close Share This Video Share on Facebook

Share on Twitter

Share on WhatsApp

Copy link Link copied to clipboard They could have picked Vossy: Why Ratts says he's lucky In this excerpt from the In The Game podcast, St Kilda coach Brett Ratten explains why he's grateful to receive a second chance

Thursday, March 19

Richmond v Carlton at the MCG, 7.40pm AEDT

RICHMOND

New faces: Nil

Notable absentees: Bachar Houli

CARLTON

New faces: Jack Martin, Jack Newnes

Notable absentees: Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay, Eddie Betts, Caleb Marchbank



Friday, March 20

Western Bulldogs v Collingwood at Marvel Stadium, 7.50pm AEDT

WESTERN BULLDOGS

New faces: Alex Keath, Josh Bruce, Ben Cavarra

Notable absentees: Tom Liberatore, Pat Lipinski, Taylor Duryea, Josh Schache, Toby McLean

COLLINGWOOD

New faces: Tyler Brown

Notable absentees: Adam Treloar, Tom Langon, Levi Greenwood, Travis Varcoe, Jaidyn Stephenson

Saturday, March 21

Essendon v Fremantle at Marvel Stadium, 2.10pm AEDT

ESSENDON

New faces: Jacob Townsend, Tom Cutler

Notable absentees: Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Joe Daniher, Patrick Ambrose, Conor McKenna

FREMANTLE

New faces: Sam Sturt, James Aish

Notable absentees: Blake Acres, Joel Hamling, Stephen Hill, Jesse Hogan, David Mundy, Alex Pearce, Nathan Wilson, Connor Blakely

Adelaide v Sydney at Adelaide Oval, 4.35pm ACDT

ADELAIDE

New faces: Fischer McAsey, Billy Frampton

Notable absentees: Riley Knight

SYDNEY

New faces: Lewis Taylor, Sam Gray, Kaiden Brand

Notable absentees: Lance Franklin, George Hewett, Sam Reid, Callum Sinclair

Gold Coast v Port Adelaide at Metricon Stadium, 6.40pm AEST

GOLD COAST

New faces: Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Connor Budarick, Hugh Greenwood, Brandon Ellis

Notable absentees: Izak Rankine

PORT ADELAIDE

New faces: Mitch Georgiades

Notable absentees: Ollie Wines, Jack Watts, Charlie Dixon

Greater Western Sydney v Geelong, 7.40pm AEDT

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

New faces: Tom Green, Sam Jacobs

Notable absentees: Zac Williams, Callan Ward, Tim Taranto

GEELONG

New faces: Nil

Notable absentees: Jack Steven, Rhys Stanley, Josh Jenkins

Sunday, March 22

North Melbourne v St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, 1.05pm AEDT

NORTH MELBOURNE

New faces: Josh Walker, Aiden Bonar, Tristan Xerri

Notable absentees: Luke Davies-Uniacke, Ben Jacobs, Kayne Turner, Ed Vickers-Willis, Marley Williams

ST KILDA

New faces: Max King, Dan Butler, Dougal Howard, Paddy Ryder, Bradley Hill, Zak Jones

Notable absentees:

Hawthorn v Brisbane at the MCG, 3.40pm AEDT

HAWTHORN

New faces: Jonathon Patton, Sam Frost, Michael Hartley

Notable absentees: Blake Hardwick, Dan Howe, Jarman Impey

BRISBANE

New faces: Deven Robertson, Grant Birchall, Keidan Coleman, Connor Ballenden

Notable absentees: Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Callum Ah Chee

West Coast v Melbourne at Optus Stadium, 3.40pm AWST

WEST COAST

New faces: Tim Kelly, Bailey Williams

Notable absentees: Oscar Allen, Jarrod Cameron, Tom Cole, Willie Rioli, Daniel Venables

MELBOURNE

New faces: Toby Bedford, Kysaiah Pickett, Ed Langdon, Adam Tomlinson, Luke Jackson, Mitch Brown

Notable absentees: Harley Bennell, Christian Salem, Aaron vandenBerg, Nathan Jones