MARLION Pickett will make history on Saturday and become the first player in 67 years to earn his AFL debut in a Grand Final.

Meanwhile, Lachie Keeffe and Ian Hill are the unlucky duo to miss out for Greater Western Sydney, who welcomes back a pair of blockbuster inclusions in Lachie Whitfield and Toby Greene for the club's first ever Grand Final appearance.

Whitfield missed the club's narrow preliminary final win over Collingwood due to an appendicitis, while Greene is also included after being sidelined last weekend due to suspension.

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Richmond informed Pickett on Thursday that he would be part of its team for the premiership decider, just four months after he was recruited to the club in the NAB AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft.

He will replace Jack Graham in Richmond's team, with the midfielder ruled out earlier in the week after suffering a dislocated shoulder in Friday night's preliminary final win over Geelong.

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Pickett, 27, won the Norm Goss Medal for the best player in last week's VFL Grand Final, enhancing his hopes of making a remarkable senior debut on Saturday's big stage.

It completes a fairytale journey for the West Australian, who spent more than two years in jail as a teenager, before turning his life around to become a WAFL star with South Fremantle.

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He arrived at Punt Road midway through the year as a rookie, hampered by a finger injury, but has made impressive strides through the VFL to earn his incredible opportunity.

Pickett will subsequently become the first player since Collingwood's Keith Batchelor in 1952 to make his senior debut in a Grand Final.

It means September selection heartbreak for both Jack Ross and Kamdyn McIntosh, who were withdrawn from last week's VFL Grand Final on standby for Graham and the concussed Nathan Broad.

Pickett has got the nod over both of the unlucky duo, while Broad has been cleared to play having recovered well from the nasty head knock he sustained last week.

Rookie sensation Sydney Stack has also missed out, having not sufficiently recovered from a syndesmosis injury suffered late in the year.

Ross, McIntosh, Stack and Ryan Garthwaite are Richmond's four emergencies.

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Whitfield and Greene replace last week's inclusions Keeffe and Hill for the Giants, as GWS reverts back to the side that overcame Brisbane in the semi-final a fortnight ago.

Co-captain and star defender Phil Davis has been named to play, despite suffering a series of knocks that hampered his ability to get through training during the week.

Star midfielder Stephen Coniglio had already put a line through his chances of playing earlier in the week, having not recovered from a knee injury sustained in round 17.

Hill, Keeffe, Isaac Cumming and Zac Langdon are the four emergencies for the Giants.

Saturday, September 28

Richmond v Greater Western Sydney at the MCG, 2.30pm AEST

RICHMOND

In: M.Pickett
Out:
J.Graham (shoulder)
New:
Marlion Pickett (South Fremantle)

GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY

In: L.Whitfield, T.Greene
Out:
L.Keeffe, B.Hill

Playing debut in Grand Final

Player

Club

Year

Result

Career games

Goals

Harry Prout

Ess

1908

Loss

29

35

Bill James

Rich

1920

Win

1

1

George Rawle

Ess

1923

Win

19

4

Frank Vine

Melb

1926

Win

105

41

Keith Batchelor

Coll

1952

Loss

42 (21 for NM)

17

Recent players in VFL-AFL Grand Final double

2014 – Cyril Rioli – Box Hill (L) & Hawthorn (W)
2013 – Jonathan Simpkin – Box Hill (W) & Hawthorn (W)
2007 – Steven King – Geelong (W) & Geelong (W)
2003 – Tristen Walker – Williamstown (W) & Collingwood (L)