> Watch Jarryd Blair speak to CTV about his debut on Saturday night

A late inclusion for an injured Steele Sidebottom (calf) saw recently elevated rookie Jarryd Blair make his AFL debut, the first Magpie to do so in season 2010.??

The 20-year-old was on the ground for the opening bounce and finished the match with 16 disposals and five tackles.??

Blair, who was drafted by the club in the 2008 rookie draft, has enjoyed 18 months of good footy in the VFL and was rewarded with his first senior game on Saturday night.? ?


“I didn’t really know what to expect to be honest,” Blair told CTV in the rooms after he was showered with Powerade in the middle of the team circle.??

“I spoke to a lot of blokes who had been there and done it and they said enjoy yourself and take it as it comes.  I suppose that’s the attitude I took and I loved every minute of it."

Blair started the match at half forward before he worked his way through several positions during the contest.??

“I spoke to Tarkyn (Lockyer) a fair bit up forward and Mago (Leon Davis).  Mago is pretty good with the young blokes; he was talking to me the whole game and helping me with a few structures.”??

Blair’s role changed in the second half when he played a tagging role on West Coast midfielder Matthew Priddis??.


> Watch the players sing the song in the rooms after the win

“I started out up forward and Mick (Malthouse) said I needed to help maintain our forward line pressure and keep the ball in our forward half.  ??

“In that second half I had a job on Priddis to run with him and try to negate him at the stoppages.??

“He has a fair engine on him and gets a lot of footy around the stoppages so I had to work while trying to avoid a few blocks.  It was good.”