ONE HOT day doesn't make a summer. But two players signed in the final days of summer showed on Sunday they deserve to play a lot more this winter after making the most of an opportunity they feared would never arrive.  

Milan Murdock and Tom Blamires were still working full-time jobs and training with their state league clubs at night at the start of February. It looked like the ship had sailed on another avenue to the AFL.

But that had changed by the final week of the pre-season supplemental selection period, after both West Coast and North Melbourne decided to fill the final spot on their lists with a three-time Simpson medallist and the reigning Fothergill-Round-Mitchell medallist, following long-term knee injuries to Jackson Archer and Noah Long. 

Blamires had been trialling at Arden Street for just over a fortnight when North Melbourne offered him a one-year contract, amid interest from the Eagles. By that stage of the SSP, it was too late to trial anyone, but at 25, Murdock had enough runs on the board in the WAFL and had previously done a medical with the club.

Eagles national recruiting scout Todd Nisbett had tracked the East Fremantle star for years and list boss Matt Clarke considered picking him in last year's AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, but couldn't overlook Jacob Newton after he proved he was over the navicular issues that ruined his draft year. 

Murdock's manager, Colin Young, had pushed him to West Coast coach Andrew McQualter in December and kept asking the question across the summer. McQualter was sold quickly on Murdock from his very first session, so not many at the Eagles were surprised when the 180cm midfielder from East Fremantle was picked to debut 17 days after signing with the club. 

What was surprising was the impact Murdock had in his debut against Gold Coast at People First Stadium on Sunday night, which resulted in a coaches' vote and a photo with Mac Andrew afterwards that endeared himself to fans across the country. 

Murdock amassed 22 disposals, 14 contested possessions, eight score involvements and kicked two goals, making him the first player ever to have 20-plus disposals, 14-plus contested possessions and 2-plus goals on debut. He also equalled Chris Judd for most contested ball in his debut game for West Coast and eighth most in AFL history first up.

"He came on the ground and got that tackle on Mac Andrew to start and I was like, 'That's exactly what he is.' That summed up his story of how long it took him to get to this level," McQualter said on Sunday night.

"What did he end up with? Three shots on goal and 20-odd touches? It's a hell of debut for someone that is 10 days into an AFL career. 

"His family were all here tonight, you could see the joy in their face, this guy has worked so hard to get an AFL career and it looks like he is going to have one for a while now."

Up until February, Blamires was working in the commercial department at Collingwood during the week, while preparing for another season with the Frankston Dolphins in the VFL after hours. 

Then North Melbourne list manager Brady Rawlings called him out of the blue one morning before work and offered him the chance to trial for the next fortnight. 

The 23-year-old met with a handful of clubs after a breakout season resulted in him winning the best young player in the VFL, including West Coast and Geelong. The Eagles were most interested and looking for mature talent, but signed Fin Macrae, Dev Robertson and Harry Schoenberg, before choosing to add local gun Fred Rodriguez in the Rookie Draft.

It resulted in a long summer for Blamires. 

"I was pretty flat after that, but at the same time, I have faced that many setbacks," Blamires told AFL.com.au after signing with North Melbourne last month. 

"I've had so many setbacks as a 23-year-old and so many times where I've had the hope and it hasn't happened, so it was just another setback that I've faced. I knew that I'd bounce back. Even though I was flat at the moment, I knew deep down that I'd be able to bounce back. It was more doing that as soon as possible rather than dwelling on it longer than it needed to be."

In the space of a few weeks in February, Blamires not only earned a contract for 2026, but then earned a spot in Alastair Clarkson's round one team. 

On Sunday, Blamires showed that he will take some displacing this year to go back to VFL level after backing up an impressive AAMI Community Series game against Collingwood – before he went back to empty out his desk at the KGM Centre – with an even better debut against Port Adelaide.

Blamires collected 23 disposals at Marvel Stadium off half-back, to go with five marks and 396 metres gained on a significant day for him and North Melbourne. 

Across a Sunday afternoon in March, Murdock and Blamires proved they just needed an opportunity. That is the beauty of the SSP.