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.
Essendon
Rookies:ย Archie Roberts, Luamon Lual, Vigo Visentini, Nate Caddy
Still waiting:ย Jaiden Hunter, Jayden Davey, Lewis Hayes
Most likely to debut in 2024:ย Top 10 draft selection Nate Caddy is a strong chance to feature in Essendon's Round 1 meeting with the Hawks, slotting into an attacking role alongside Peter Wright and Kyle Langford. Fellow rookie Archie Roberts has caught attention this pre-season but would likely be relying on some senior setbacks to get a look in the first half of the season at the very least.
