It is the stuff that dreams are made of and while the journey might be different for various players, earning a debut game in the AFL is equally as special for any individual that is lucky enough to experience it.
For emerging forward Jay Polkinghorne, that notion was no different and in fact, it was something that he spoke about 18 months before it actually happened.
Announced on Wednesday, Polkinghorne will make his AFL debut on Thursday night when the Cats take on St Kilda at GMHBA Stadium, an apt recognition for his stellar form at VFL level.
In the midst of his first pre-season at Geelong prior to the 2025 season, Polkinghorne sat down with Cats Media and looked ahead to what the moment might be like, when he emerges from the room onto his home ground for the very first time.
"That would be crazy, that is obviously the dream," Polkinghorne told Cats Media prior to his first AFL season.
"From a young age, everyone dreams of running out in an AFL game and playing. That would be a crazy feeling and hopefully it happens.
"I would be calling my parents straight away I think. The amount of work that they did for me when I was younger, they would be the first people I'd call.
"I would love to have as many people as I could. They would all be keen, I would say, they have had a massive influence on my career so far."
Polkinghorne will etch his name into the history books on Thursday night, set to become the 1,122nd player to wear the blue and white Hoops at the elite level.
He also discussed what it would be like to follow in the footsteps of club legends, wearing the number two on his back made famous by the likes of Tom Harley and Zach Tuohy.
"It would be a pretty surreal feeling," Polkinghorne said.
"There is over a thousand players that have come before me, I am just another person in the books.
"There is a lot of history in this club and it would be a great honour to pull on the guernsey."
Polkinghorne grew up in South Australia, along with his family on a farm well north of Adelaide that was located on the Eyre Peninsula.
Nicknamed the 'Penong Flyer' during his time at VFL level, he spent time with the Western United Tigers and also attended Prince Alfred College in Adelaide.
It ultimately saw Polkinghorne feature for Norwood in the SANFL, where he displayed his remarkable goal sense and aerial ability that led to his selection in the 2024 draft.
Despite always having an abundance of talent, Polkinghorne said that it was not until he moved to Adelaide that he thought his AFL dream might become a possibility.
"Probably when I first went over to Adelaide, that was when I started thinking about an AFL career," Polkinghorne told Cats Media.
"I was definitely hoping for it, everyone dreams about it but it might not necessarily happen. It was about year 10 for me that it clicked, that this might actually happen and I stuck to it.
"My family and friends are the ones who helped me the most along the way, especially when you are young and they are your core group.
"My mates for me were very important, being away from my family when I was in a boarding house and they pretty much became brothers to me. I was very close with them and they helped me a lot, I can't be thankful enough."
