FORGETTING to take an allergy tablet nearly scuppered Fremantle recruit Bradley Hill's debut against West Coast in Geraldton last Saturday.

In a peculiar pre-season episode, Hill was almost scratched from the Dockers' side after jumping into an ice-bath before the match – played in scorching conditions - and suffering an allergic reaction to the cold. 

"I normally take a Telfast tablet, which is like an antihistamine, because I just have a bit of a reaction to cold temperatures," Hill said.

"I jumped in an ice-bath before the game and blew up a little bit. I get a bit swollen, red and itchy.

"Then I just got a bit fatigued and didn’t feel too great. But I've had it a fair few times so I'm not worried about it." 

Hill, who also battled the reaction on several occasions when he was at Hawthorn, was unusually quiet in the JLT Community Series clash.

He bobbed up with two goals from 10 disposals on a tough day for Freo, but wasn't at his line-breaking best.

However, the triple-premiership star refused to blame his allergy. 

"It didn't affect my game, I just didn't have the best day," he said.

In a rusty first pre-season hit-out, Freo was slow out of the blocks and went down to the Eagles by 55 points.

But five players made their club debuts, while Nat Fyfe and Michael Johnson returned from long-term injury lay-offs, and Hill was confident the Dockers would improve.

"Obviously there's blokes that haven't played footy in a while, new blokes coming in, and we haven't gelled together yet," Hill said. 

Dockers coach Ross Lyon said post-match that his side has a "dual narrative" of still aiming high this year while in the second season of a four-year rebuild. 

And Hill, who sought an off-season trade to be closer to family, knows Freo is a work in progress.

"Obviously I had a good time at Hawthorn and I'm very lucky to be part of their history and what we accomplished over there," he said. 

"But I'm willing to take whatever (amount of time) it takes (to achieve success at Freo). I get to play footy with my brother (Stephen) – not a lot of people get to do that."

Hill wasn't the only ex-Hawk debuting in new colours in Geraldton, with Sam Mitchell running amok and racking up 28 touches in his first game for the Eagles. 

"I didn't expect anything less from him, but we probably could've put a bit more work into him – he got a few cheapies," Hill said with a laugh.

The premiership teammates tangled in the final term, and Hill didn't miss his chance to get his own 'cheapy' on Mitchell before they shared a quick embrace. 

"I tackled him to the ground and then I rubbed his head into the floor a little bit, and then he grabbed hold of my leg so I couldn't run and he said 'don't move'," Hill said. 

"I said to him before the game 'you're not allowed to tackle me, and I'm not allowed to tackle you'.  

"He just gave me a little hug and that was it really."