NORTH Melbourne defender Max Warren will make his AFL debut on Saturday night against the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba after two-and-a-half seasons on the Roos' rookie list.

North announced Warren's debut on NMFC.com.au on Wednesday afternoon, after elevating him to their senior list earlier that day.

Warren said the news of his debut had come "out of the blue" but had been "really satisfying" given his long road to the senior list.

"It's been a lot of hard work and a lot of dedication and doing the right things, so hopefully I can bring it into the AFL level," the 21-year-old said.

Warren, 181cm, has been a consistent performer with the Roos' VFL affiliate North Ballarat, playing predominantly as a close-checking defender and his scalps this year have included Geelong star Steven Motlop and Western Bulldogs veteran Daniel Giansiracusa.

Warren was upgraded in place of fellow rookie Joel Tippett, who tore his pectoral muscle against Geelong in Round 10.

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