History says that AFL debuts can be hard to read into.

Some players excel and appear destined for stardom before falling off the face of the football earth, such as Footscray’s John Georgiades who kicked eight goals in round one, 1989, but only managed a further 14 games.

Others, like the great Jonathan Brown, go without touching the ball but still go on to carve out a handy career (or, in Brown’s case, go on to become one of the greats of his era).

In 2013, nine players have worn the Collingwood jumper for the first time, six of whom had never played senior football until receiving the call up from coach Nathan Buckley.

All have shown glimpses of their undoubted potential, and in light of Kyle Martin’s 19 disposal, six tackle, six clearances and two goal debut, collingwoodfc.com.au has decided to look back at some of the club’s more notable debutants (including club and AFL debuts) since the turn of the millennium.

Shane O’Bree
Debut: Round One 2000 v Hawthorn
Stats: 21 kicks, 4 marks, 5 handballs, 26 possessions, 1 goal, 1 tackle, 6 inside 50s, 12 contested possessions
Impact: Although O’Bree arrived at Victoria Park with 19 games under his belt in two years with the Brisbane Lions (including two finals), he was only 20-years-old when he ran out in a Collingwood jumper for the first time. He hit the ground running and provided a wonderful foil for Nathan Buckley as ruck-rover, going on to play 227 games for the club (246 in total). For the record, Collingwood won by 54 points.

Ben Johnson
Debut: Round One 2000 v Hawthorn
Stats: 12 kicks, 5 marks, 6 handballs, 18 possessions, 3 goals, 3 behinds, 5 inside 50s
Impact: Renowned for his ability to create run and unpredictability off half back and through the wings, Johnson burst onto the scene with six scoring shots (three goals and three behinds) in his first game of league football. On a sweltering hot Monday afternoon at the MCG, Johnson, who was the 62nd selection in the previous year’s National Draft, upstaged more fancied debutants Josh Fraser and Leon Davis with an eye-catching display in the forward pocket. In his 234 games since, Johnson has only managed to kick three goals once more (against Melbourne on the Queen’s Birthday in 2007).

James Clement
Debut: Round Three 2001 v Western Bulldogs
Stats: 10 kicks, 6 marks, 3 handballs, 13 possessions, 3 goals, 1 tackle, 2 frees for
Impact: Clement will go down in Collingwood history as one of the club’s finest half back flankers. His club debut is now long-forgotten, but it remains an anomaly in his Magpie career. He had made an impression in a few forays forward while at Fremantle (kicking five goals in successive weeks in early 1998) and started his days at Victoria Park with three majors in a 72-point win over the Dogs.

Scott Cummings
Debut: Round One 2002 v Richmond
Stats: 6 kicks, 5 marks, 0 handballs, 6 possessions, 5 goals, 1 behind
Impact: The football journeyman (four clubs, 128 games, 349 goals) endeared their hearts to the Collingwood faithful with an outstanding debut on Easter Thursday, 2002, bagging five goals from six kicks in a 37-point loss to the previous year’s Preliminary Finalists. Leading hard and fast out of the goal square, Cummings gave Nathan Buckley a reliable target as he broke from the centre and looked set to reprise Sav Rocca’s role as the club’s star full forward. Unfortunately for Cummings, it wasn’t a sign of things to come. Hamstring injuries ruined his year and he could only manage a further four games before retiring.

Tom Davidson
Debut: Round Two 2004 v Western Bulldogs
Stats: 4 kicks, 3 marks, 0 handballs, 4 possessions, 0 goals, 1 behind, 2 inside 50s
Impact: He arrived with big expectations and left with supporters pondering what might have been. The 192cm key forward was Collingwood’s second selection in the 2001 National Draft but missed most of 2003 with a knee reconstruction. He broke through for his senior debut against the Dogs early on in the following season and looked promising at half forward. Then, just before half time, his knee gave way. He never played at senior level again despite stints on the club’s rookie list and later at the Western Bulldogs.

Bo Nixon
Debut: Round Two 2004 v Western Bulldogs
Stats: 0 kicks, 0 marks, 0 handballs, 0 possessions
Impact: It’s a little harsh to single out Nixon’s statless debut, as he only spent 13 per cent of the game on the ground. But it actually took him until his third game (against the Saints in round eight) to record his first kick for the club. Nixon, Collingwood’s first selection in the 2002 National Draft, suffered badly from a string of injuries including a malfunctioning kidney. He was later traded to Hawthorn where he managed one game before being delisted at season’s end. Nixon went on to make an impact for Port Melbourne in the VFL.

Travis Cloke
Debut: Round Five 2005 v Essendon
Stats: 13 kicks, 4 marks, 3 handballs, 16 possessions, 1 goal, 1 behind, 2 hitouts, 8 inside 50s, 5 clearances
Impact: Impact? The youngest Cloke had it from his very first touch at senior level. Introduced in front of 70,003 fans despite still completing his VCE studies at Yarra Valley Grammar, Cloke stood up in the pressure cooker environment of ANZAC Day football for a side that was finding the AFL circa 2005 hard going. The Pies were beaten by fellow cellar dweller Essendon by 14 points but could take solace in Cloke’s performance (his 16 possessions was his equal highest tally for the season).

Chris Egan
Debut: Round Eight 2005 v Richmond
Stats: 11 kicks, 5 marks, 5 handballs, 16 possessions, 1 tackle, 6 clangers
Impact: Egan, the 10th overall selection in the 2004 National Draft, is proof that debuts can be memorable for all kinds of reasons. In Egan’s case, his first three kicks in AFL football went out of bounds on the full. Far from feeling cursed, he joined the great Peter Daicos as men who had put their first kicks at the highest level out on the full. He didn’t drop his head and instead recovered to gather 16 possessions in Collingwood’s 35-point loss. Egan managed 27 games during his four years in black and white, showing plenty of potential in his first two before being slowed by a knee injury in 2007. He saw out his days in the VFL before crossing to Williamstown once his Collingwood career came to a close.

Dale Thomas
Debut: Round One 2006 v Adelaide
Stats: 10 kicks, 8 marks, 6 handballs, 16 possessions, 2 goals, 3 tackles, 4 inside 50s
Impact: Having won only 13 games in the two years prior, Collingwood entered 2006 craving hope and reason to believe. With this in mind, it was no surprise that the supporters were whipped into a frenzy by the performance of Dale ‘Daisy’ Thomas in his first game of league footy. Thomas, the club’s first selection in the 2005 National Draft, kicked two goals in the first quarter and took a screamer over the back of teammate Shane Wakelin only metres from goal. With his long blond hair and daring style of play, the Magpies knew they had something special on their hands.

Alan Toovey
Debut: Round Three 2007 v Richmond
Stats: 9 kicks, 4 marks, 3 handballs, 12 possessions, 3 goals, 2 behinds, 1 hitout, 2 tackles
Impact: Three West Australians debuted against the Tigers on a balmy Friday night in April 2007. Brad Dick and Shannon Cox were blooded with big expectations but less was known about the unobtrusive Toovey. The former rookie kicked three goals (as well as a behind with his first kick) and had supporters touting him as a potential foil for Anthony Rocca and Travis Cloke as the side’s third tall forward. Not one of the 70,569 strong crowd would have guessed that Toovey would only kick a further five goals in his next 113 games. Instead of becoming a reliable option inside 50, Toovey has made his name as one of the AFL’s most reliable backmen. He has not kicked a goal since round seven, 2010, but in the games since has become a premiership player and has been awarded the Darren Millane Trophy as Best Clubman.

Martin Clarke
Debut: Round 13 2007 v Sydney
Stats: 11 kicks, 5 marks, 9 handballs, 20 possessions, 4 tackles, 2 rebound 50s
Impact: Less than 12 months after taking up Aussie Rules, Irishman Marty Clarke made a startling debut at the Olympic Stadium in the harbour city. He calmly collected 20 possessions across half back and played 100 per cent of the match – a rarity for all debutants. A week later, he kicked three goals from 19 possessions and by September was one of Collingwood’s best players in the Preliminary Final loss to the Cats.

Chris Dawes
Debut: Round 19 2008 v St Kilda
Stats: 7 kicks, 6 marks, 0 handballs, 7 possessions, 2 goals, 1 behind
Impact: In the aftermath of the Didak-Shaw fiasco that threatened to derail Collingwood’s season, the Magpies looked to youth to rekindle its flagging finals hopes. Dawes and John McCarthy were given their first chance against the Saints on a Saturday night in front of 52,135 fans at the MCG. Dawes, wearing long sleeves, kicked the first goal of the night with his first kick from the top of the goal square and ended up with two of the night from six marks in damp conditions. The ex-Sandringham Dragon played a key role in Collingwood’s 14-point win and later kicked three goals in the Elimination Final against the Crows.

Ben Hudson
Debut: Round Three 2013 v Hawthorn
Stats: 10 kicks, 3 marks, 12 handballs, 22 possessions, 1 goal, 25 hitouts, 2 tackles, 5 clearances
Impact: Collingwood fans were counting their blessings when Ben Hudson donned the No. 25 for the first time in round three earlier this year. First choice ruckman Darren Jolly was missing with a rib injury, paving the way for the 34-year-old Hudson to play his first game for his fourth club. He made a real impact, too, having the impact of an extra midfielder with five clearances and 12 handballs in wet conditions.

Kyle Martin
Debut: Round 10 2013 v Brisbane
Stats: 7 kicks, 5 marks, 12 handballs, 19 possessions, 2 goals, 2 behinds, 6 tackles, 6 clearances, 11 contested possessions
Impact: Following weeks of impressive performances at VFL level, Martin’s hand was red raw from banging down the match committee’s door. A six goal, 29 possession, 12 tackle game against Essendon finally saw the door swing ajar and Martin didn’t hesitate to run through it. He worked his way into the game against the Lions with some early handballs before pushing forward to kick two goals. His 11 contested possessions, six clearances and six tackles highlighted his ability to do both the flashy and the arduous. The No. 37 looks set to become a feature of the senior side for some time to come.