Round one was full of debutantes wanting to make the mark on the game. The first rookie to put his hand up was Mitch Robinson from Carlton who is already becoming a cult figure at the club. Along with other Carlton rookies such as Jeff Garlett and Aaron Joseph, Robinson made an immediate impact; kicking three goals and accumulating 13 possessions in an impressive performance.

The most impressive group of youngsters for round one came from Adelaide who boasted three debutantes. Myke Cook and Jared Potrenko helped the Crows to a shock victory over the Pies; the other rookie Taylor Walker didn’t feature too much.

The other rookie to make a big splash on the AFL arena was West Australian Daniel Rich of the Brisbane Lions. A match winning third quarter performance by the youngster showed why many think he is an already-made AFL footballer. Rich amassed 21 possessions, 14 of which were kicks and eight inside 50; he also received the Rising Star nomination for round one.

There is no doubt that we will see more rookies emerge in the coming weeks along with the development of second year players.

Quote of the Week - Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin

“I am going to stay a one-man team, I never look like leaving ever, I love the club,” - when questioned about the possibilty of joing the new Gold Coast team.