He had been touted as a player to watch for some time, but Mitch Edwards certainly did not disappoint in his AFL debut on Saturday afternoon. 

Able to impose his big frame around stoppages and influence key contests, the 20 year old competed strongly in the ruck and gave Geelong a different look through the middle of the ground. 

Edwards finished with a solid stat line including 15 hit-outs, three inside 50s and three intercept possessions, more than holding his own against Fremantle duo Luke Jackson and Sean Darcy. 

His afternoon to remember was made even better by the support of the Geelong faithful, with Edwards mentioning the loud crowd among his key takeaways from the game. 

"It is amazing, the Cats fans are amazing," Edwards said following his debut. 

"We could hear them riding the momentum and they are a big reason for the comeback. 

"Scotty gave us a bit of a stern word and we changed gears a bit, which helped us get into it.

"We are a really resilient group so we just stuck to what makes us a good team, and kept working at that."

Cats coach Chris Scott also shared his positive thoughts about Edwards' performance, noting that his influence was outstanding in the Cats' comeback victory. 

"I don't love individualising generally but there are a few that spring to mind," Scott said when quizzed about which Cats impressed. 

"We really liked Mitch Edwards' game, it is a great achievement playing your first game of AFL footy full stop.

"But to have an impact the way he did was really exciting for us."

Heading into his third season with Geelong, Edwards was looking for greater consistency after an injury interrupted opening two years with the Cats, but he was able to build momentum late in the 2025 VFL season. 

It was then an outstanding pre-season that put him firmly in the selection window, rewarded with his AFL debut in Geelong's second match of the campaign.  

12 months ago, Edwards sat down with Cats Media and predicted what his debut might be like, with the chance to play for the club he grew up supporting. 

"There will definitely be a lot of nerves, but I will be pretty excited," Edwards predicted when he sat down with Cats Media. 

"Like anyone would say, you just go out there and try your best, play your role and it will be pretty surreal. It would be a dream come true.

"Growing up I was a Geelong fan, I have always dreamed of playing for the club.

"It would be a pretty surreal feeling, but it would be amazing for sure."