THERE will be debutants galore across the weekend as teams unveil their brightest young stars in round one.
After 12 months of anticipation, towering 2018 St Kilda draftee Max King will be unleashed at Marvel Stadium on Sunday against North Melbourne.
ALL THE TEAMS Check 'em out
King's twin brother Ben will have a trio of debutants alongside him for Gold Coast against Port Adelaide on Saturday night, led by top-two picks from last year's crop Matt Rowell and Noah Anderson.
Ken Hinkley's team will unveil fellow first rounder Mitch Georgiades at Metricon Stadium.
Adelaide's Fischer McAsey (No.6), Greater Western Sydney's Tom Green (No.10) and Melbourne's Kysaiah Pickett (No.12) will also play their first games.
While we see some of the most exciting teenagers start their footy journey, one of the game's biggest names has beaten the odds to take his place.
Geelong skipper Joel Selwood has overcome his nagging hamstring injury and will play against Greater Western Sydney on Saturday night, while midfielder mate Mitch Duncan (hip) has also been named.
Adelaide recruit Josh Jenkins will have to watch the opening round from his couch after being left out, while the Cats have gone for Darcy Fort in the ruck over Rhys Stanley.
Zac Williams has been left out by the Giants after missing both Marsh Community Series matches.
Scott Pendlebury will lead Collingwood against the Western Bulldogs on Friday night after, as expected, he overcame a health scare earlier in the week.
The news wasn't so good for Adam Treloar, with Magpies football manager Geoff Walsh revealing the midfielder would likely miss the first two matches with a stomach virus.
Taylor Adams (hip) was passed fit, while Jaidyn Stephenson (hand) was a surprise omission, selected only as an emergency.
Interesting to note - Nathan Buckley said Jaidyn Stephenson would play yesterday just moments after he alluded to extended benches. Now named emergency @AFLcomau
— Mitch Cleary (@cleary_mitch) March 19, 2020
For the Bulldogs star young forward Aaron Naughton (knee) has been cleared to take off and will play alongside recruits Josh Bruce and Alex Keath, while Josh Schache has been left out.
Essendon has pulled a selection surprise for its match against Fremantle on Saturday, with Irishman Conor McKenna named as an emergency.
Former Lion Tom Cutler will debut for the Bombers, while ruckman Tom Bellchambers has overcome a knee injury to earn his spot.
Ex-Pie and Lion James Aish is in for the Dockers.
Rowell and Anderson won't be the only debutants for the Suns, with Academy product Connor Budarick to also play his first game, while Gold Coast skipper Jarrod Witts has recovered from a broken foot to take his place.
Noah Anderson and Matt Rowell shone in their first hit-out for the Suns ??
— AFL (@AFL) February 24, 2020
Check out all their game highlights against the Cats ?? pic.twitter.com/Clc97lZS6o
Witts will face Port enforcer Scott Lycett, who has overcome an Achilles injury, while power forward Charlie Dixon (adductor) is unavailable.
Sydney has named just one ruckman to take on the Crows at Adelaide Oval, with Sam Naismith beating Callum Sinclair to the job.
Lewy Taylor and Sam Gray and will all play their first games in Swans colours, while George Hewett has been left out.
Adelaide has named Taylor Walker on the wing, while former Power big man Billy Frampton will make his club debut.
Although Sunday's games are still extended 26-man squads at this stage, Melbourne has confirmed second year player Toby Bedford would join Pickett as a debutant.
The Demons' opponent West Coast have named star forward Jack Darling, who was in doubt with a cheekbone injury, while Tim Kelly is also a confirmed starter after his big off-season move from Geelong.
Grant Birchall will play his former team first up when Brisbane travels to the MCG to play Hawthorn on Sunday, while fellow recruits Callum Ah Chee and Cam Ellis-Yolmen has been left out of the Lions' squad.
Sam Frost will play his first game in Hawks colours after switching from Melbourne, while the contest will also see the return of Brownlow medalist Tom Mitchell after missing 2019 with a broken leg.
Ben Brown has been named for North Melbourne after overcoming a calf injury to take on a St Kilda side boasting all five recruits - Dan Butler, Dougal Howard, Paddy Ryder, Bradley Hill, Zak Jones - from last year's Telstra AFL Trade Period.
Thursday, March 19
Richmond v Carlton at the MCG, 7.40pm AEDT
RICHMOND
New faces: Nil
Notable absentees: Bachar Houli
CARLTON
New faces: Jack Martin, Jack Newnes
Notable absentees: Charlie Curnow, Harry McKay, Eddie Betts, Caleb Marchbank
Friday, March 20
Western Bulldogs v Collingwood at Marvel Stadium, 7.50pm AEDT
WESTERN BULLDOGS
New faces: Alex Keath, Josh Bruce, Ben Cavarra
Notable absentees: Tom Liberatore, Pat Lipinski, Taylor Duryea, Josh Schache, Toby McLean
COLLINGWOOD
New faces: Tyler Brown
Notable absentees: Adam Treloar, Tom Langon, Levi Greenwood, Travis Varcoe, Jaidyn Stephenson
Saturday, March 21
Essendon v Fremantle at Marvel Stadium, 2.10pm AEDT
ESSENDON
New faces: Jacob Townsend, Tom Cutler
Notable absentees: Dyson Heppell, Cale Hooker, Joe Daniher, Patrick Ambrose, Conor McKenna
FREMANTLE
New faces: Sam Sturt, James Aish
Notable absentees: Blake Acres, Joel Hamling, Stephen Hill, Jesse Hogan, David Mundy, Alex Pearce, Nathan Wilson, Connor Blakely
Adelaide v Sydney at Adelaide Oval, 4.35pm ACDT
ADELAIDE
New faces: Fischer McAsey, Billy Frampton
Notable absentees: Riley Knight
SYDNEY
New faces: Lewis Taylor, Sam Gray, Kaiden Brand
Notable absentees: Lance Franklin, George Hewett, Sam Reid, Callum Sinclair
Gold Coast v Port Adelaide at Metricon Stadium, 6.40pm AEST
GOLD COAST
New faces: Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell, Connor Budarick, Hugh Greenwood, Brandon Ellis
Notable absentees: Izak Rankine
PORT ADELAIDE
New faces: Mitch Georgiades
Notable absentees: Ollie Wines, Jack Watts, Charlie Dixon
Greater Western Sydney v Geelong, 7.40pm AEDT
GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY
New faces: Tom Green, Sam Jacobs
Notable absentees: Zac Williams, Callan Ward, Tim Taranto
GEELONG
New faces: Nil
Notable absentees: Jack Steven, Rhys Stanley, Josh Jenkins
Sunday, March 22
North Melbourne v St Kilda at Marvel Stadium, 1.05pm AEDT
NORTH MELBOURNE
New faces: Josh Walker, Aiden Bonar, Tristan Xerri
Notable absentees: Luke Davies-Uniacke, Ben Jacobs, Kayne Turner, Ed Vickers-Willis, Marley Williams
ST KILDA
New faces: Max King, Dan Butler, Dougal Howard, Paddy Ryder, Bradley Hill, Zak Jones
Notable absentees:
Hawthorn v Brisbane at the MCG, 3.40pm AEDT
HAWTHORN
New faces: Jonathon Patton, Sam Frost, Michael Hartley
Notable absentees: Blake Hardwick, Dan Howe, Jarman Impey
BRISBANE
New faces: Deven Robertson, Grant Birchall, Keidan Coleman, Connor Ballenden
Notable absentees: Cam Ellis-Yolmen, Callum Ah Chee
West Coast v Melbourne at Optus Stadium, 3.40pm AWST
WEST COAST
New faces: Tim Kelly, Bailey Williams
Notable absentees: Oscar Allen, Jarrod Cameron, Tom Cole, Willie Rioli, Daniel Venables
MELBOURNE
New faces: Toby Bedford, Kysaiah Pickett, Ed Langdon, Adam Tomlinson, Luke Jackson, Mitch Brown
Notable absentees: Harley Bennell, Christian Salem, Aaron vandenBerg, Nathan Jones