Matthew de Boer is hard pressed to imagine a better stage on which to make his AFL debut.
The 19-year-old, who was elevated from the rookie list in March after being recruited from Claremont, will play his first match in Saturday’s derby and on the same day that Fremantle captain Matthew Pavlich plays his 200th game.
“It’s Pav’s 200th and a derby, so it’s big stage to make your debut on. I’m really looking forward to getting out there and helping the team get a second win for the season,” de Boer said.
De Boer said he was “surprised but excited” when senior coach Mark Harvey told the playing group before training yesterday that he had won selection for Saturday’s clash with West Coast at Subiaco Oval.
“I never really set a time period to play an AFL game. I just thought if I kept working hard and kept pushing for selection, I’d get the opportunity,” he said.
“I was named as an emergency a few times, so I thought I might be getting close. Now I’ve been picked, I’m pretty excited.”
Mark Harvey confirmed midfielder de Boer,19, will step in to replace the injured Rhys Palmer.
Harvey said de Boer had the seasoned body and temperament to step into AFL football after being upgraded from the rookie list before the start of the season.
"He's got a more seasoned body than a lot of the guys we've got out of our side at the moment (and) he's just got this exciting nature about him that can really enthuse a side.
"I'll ask him to do a role and hopefully he can fulfil that."
De Boer will be Fremantle's fourth debutant this season, following Stephen Hill, Nic Suban and Greg Broughton.
It will be the first home-and-away derby for three out of the four, with Broughton still to pass a test on his injured ankle, but Harvey said he would tell his young players to enjoy the occasion.
"Two of those guys have had four of five games experience at AFL level, I'd like to think that they're not going to get overawed by the situation," the coach said.
"In fact one or two of them might have grown up barracking for West Coast.
"[I'll tell them to] enjoy it and take it as an honour to play with a capacity crowd of 40-odd thousand and see what you're made of."
