Lachie Neale admits he was surprised when he found out he’d be making his AFL debut against St Kilda at Etihad Stadium on Friday night.

The 177cm forward/midfielder was pulled aside late Thursday afternoon by the Freo coaching staff and given the good news.

“I wasn’t really expecting it,” Neale said.

“It’s definitely a dream come true and I’m really looking forward to it."

The 18-year-old admitted that he wasn’t quite sure what the overriding emotion he was going through was.

“Nervous is right up there at the moment,” he said.

“There’s a bit going through my head.

“It hasn’t really sunk in, but overall I’m really excited and I can’t wait to get out there and just play footy.”

Freo assistant and senior development coach Simon Lloyd had no concerns about Neale’s ability to handle the pressure and was confident the youngster would acquit himself well at Etihad.

“As soon as Lachie entered the AFL system, he’s shown throughout the pre-season that there’s no time to waste,” Lloyd said.

“He’s very competitive and driven, and he demonstrates a real willingness to play accordingly to the Fremantle Dockers’ game plan.”

Neale had a message for his teammates to what they could expect to get from him in his first game.

“An honest, committed effort 100 per cent of the time.”