The home-and-away season has arrived all too soon on the calendar. But with it comes one of the best times of the year; all 18 club's supporters have reason to be optimistic, and social media is filled with ever-increasingly bizarre ways to announce debutants.
The Demons and Swans have already dropped club debut videos including Brodie Grundy and James Jordon facing their former side. Those aren't why we're tuned in on socials, though.
What supporters really want to see are the fairytale stories -- the kid plucked with pick 62 in the draft, the last player on the list through the SSP and the state league toiler given a taste of the big time after years in the wilderness.
Those moments make up the essence of our great game, and it's why the potential debuts of players like Arie Schoenmaker, Ethan Phillips and Toby Pink should be celebrated so passionately.
So, where will those feel-good stories come from to start the season?
It all kicks off on Thursday night of Opening Round when the SCG plays host to the Swans and Dees, and livewire wingman Caleb Windsor will be a drawcard. Melbourne's pick 7, and the crowning jewel in their Luke Jackson trade package, offered Dees supporters a glimpse of the future with two goals from blistering runs through the 50 in their preseason hit-out against Carlton.
He'll form a wing partnership with Ed Langdon to start the year, and expect scintillating pace and crisp ball use forward of centre.
Blake Howes has spent two years on Melbourne's list and -- after 24 VFL games -- gets his crack in defence. The 191-centimetre utility has found his spot as an intercepting halfback where he has the athletic tools to shadow hard-running half forwards.
On Friday, we run back the Gabba preliminary final between the Lions and Blues. Brisbane has kept its Grand Final side together and aren't expected to blood a first-gamer, though medium-sized forward Logan Morris has impressed in preseason.
Keep an eye on Carlton's Jaxon Binns, who took out the club's VFL best and fairest in his first year on the list. The hard-running wingman accumulates uncontested possessions like few others and will get his crack at some stage in 2024.
The mercurial Ashton Moir slid down draft boards before the Blues scooped him up at the end of the first round, and his beautiful skills off both sides of his body would give Carlton a different element in their forward 50. With Jesse Motlop and Jack Martin ruled out, Moir could be a Opening Round bolter.
On Saturday, Damien Hardwick will be desperate to unveil his four first-round picks against his old side, but he may be made to wait. Prized pick 3 Jed Walter is recovering from surgery on his collarbone, while Ethan Read and Jake Rogers (back) didn't feature in the club's loss to the Giants last Thursday. Big-bodied defender Will Graham did, but is competing with a host of half-backs for his first guernsey.
Steely Green and Seth Campbell may be fighting for the same spot in the Tigers' forward line, and Adem Yze will be eager to blood powerful midfielder Kane McAuliffe sooner rather than later.
Opening Round hits its crescendo at the 'showground for livestock' in Sydney's west. The Darcy Jones hype has been put on hold with a knee complaint keeping the agility test record-holder on ice for a fortnight, while top picks Phoenix Gothard and James Leake won't feature as they battle illness and a quad strain respectively.
Academy graduate Harvey Thomas is the one who might feature on Saturday night, having put forth impressive performances as a small forward in practice matches. The Giants' pick 59 is a crafty ball user and has put himself right in the selection frame.
The Pies may consider Charlie Dean to cover Jeremy Howe's place in the side, with the key defender finally getting a free run at preseason after setbacks cruelled his start to AFL life. Athletic West Australian Ed Allan is mounting his case and VFL star Lachie Sullivan provides midfield depth, but the premiers don't have many holes to fill.
The other 10 teams have to wait another week for their first game for premiership points, but Essendon's Nate Caddy will likely be waiting a bit longer for his debut. The Bombers' pick 10 has wowed onlookers with his attack on the ball, playing next to Peter Wright in the Dons' forward line during match simulation. But a rough landing on his back a fortnight ago has seen him slowly reintegrate into full training on the season's eve.
The Wizard of Waverley Park, Nick Watson, is primed for his Hawks debut, showing off his brilliant craft around goals and forming a niggling partnership with Jack Ginnivan over match simulation. Hawks fans will love him and opposition supporters will love to hate him; Watson is guaranteed to bring excitement to the forward 50.
James Blanck's heartbreaking knee injury opened the door for Ethan Phillips to land on Hawthorn's list via the SSP, and now he's right in the frame for a debut at the MCG against Essendon. Phillips has been an intercepting machine at VFL level for a long time, but will need to lock down to allow James Sicily to play his favoured role.
On Saturday afternoon North Melbourne is set to unveil top-four picks Colby McKercher and Zane Duursma at either end of the ground. The freewheeling McKercher joins Harry Sheezel and Zac Fisher off halfback, while Duursma's aerial exploits and goal sense have already turned heads for the Roos.
Toby Pink or Bigoa Nyuon (1 game at Richmond) will likely partner Aiden Corr deep in defence, with Pink's resurgence from state league football a brilliant story of perseverance.
On Saturday night the Cats host the Saints in front of the brand new Joel Selwood Stand at the Cattery. Darcy Wilson is all but locked in to be patrolling the wings for St Kilda -- he's already the clubs best runner, taking the mantle from Brad Hill in the offseason. Booming kick Arie Schoenmaker was one of the biggest sliders on draft night, falling to pick 62 despite a remarkable back-end of the season for Tasmania. He impressed at Moorabbin against the Roos running off halfback and is firmly in the frame for a shock Round 1 debut.
Hugo Garcia and Lance Collard round out a brilliant draft haul for the Saints, and they may be fighting for the same spot if Dan Butler doesn't get up from his ankle complaint. Collard is a lightning-quick small forward with a bag of tricks, while Garcia is a natural midfielder whose powerful tackling has made him a Ross Lyon-favourite.
Up on the Gold Coast, Adelaide will feel pressure to unleash Dan Curtin after an impressive first preseason. But their pick 8's debut may hinge on the fitness of Mark Keane after his sickening concussion blow against Port Adelaide. Smart midfielder Zac Taylor is pushing his case after injury setbacks in his first two seasons, Charlie Edwards is coming along nicely while praise has been heaped on medium defender Oscar Ryan.
The Dogs are poised to unleash inside beast Ryley Sanders against the Dees on Sunday. The Tassie star has earned a slice of the midfield pie alongside Marcus Bontempelli and Tom Liberatore, with his explosive attributes already on show. 2022 draftee Charlie Clarke is also inching towards a debut, though it could come after some exposed form in the VFL for the pressure forward.
West Coast travels to Adelaide to face the Power, where the most hyped draftee in a generation will be rolled out on centre stage. Harley Reid has featured on just about every back page in WA since November's draft; he's been dubbed the Prince of Perth and against Port Adelaide he'll have the chance to show everyone why he is so highly touted.
The Eagles' injury woes worsened with Clay Hall's ankle concern in match practice; the son-of-a-gun was poised for a midfield role from the get-go. Instead, keep an eye on Loch Rawlinson as a pressure forward that could break his way into the side early.
For Port Adelaide, small forwards Lachie Charleson and Thomas Anastasopoulos are names that could feature later in the season given the side's desperation for more forward 50 pressure.
The new 6:50pm AEDT night cap on Sunday features the Dockers playing host to the Lions. Fremantle traded up for Cooper Simpson on draft night, gave him Matthew Pavlich's coveted number 29 and, after a blinding preseason, could be rewarding the explosive teen with a shot in Round 1. His power and poise in the forward half has been a highlight for the Dockers.
With injury to Sean Darcy moving Luke Jackson into the ruck full-time, former Bomber Patrick Voss will also come into calculations given his impressive introduction in the west.
These names across the next two weeks will make up some of the best stories of the 2024 season and its all set to kick off on Thursday night in Sydney.