It was a moment five long years in the making.

After watching teammate after teammate realise their dreams of an AFL debut, finally his turn had come.

Nathan Freeman exudes enthusiasm.

He wears a permanent smile, and even through the most trialling setbacks, has remained the same positive ball of energy that first came through the doors at St Kilda.

But on Thursday afternoon, the boy from Cheltenham was different, nervous; match committee had commenced.

Waiting for either the coach’s backing or sympathetic condolences is a weekly ritual for footballers across the country.

But it’s something Freeman has rarely known.

READ: Freeman to debut

The former top 10 draft pick was a standout junior, an explosive midfielder who carved a swath through opposition teams at TAC Cup level.

But his AFL career reads more like a washed-up rock star’s autobiography, with vastly more time spent in rehab than performing on the big stage.

Persistent hamstring injuries, beginning with a torn tendon 40 minutes into his first pre-season match at the start of 2014, have plagued his budding career, restricting to him to little more than 20 games of VFL over five years.

Fellow 2013 draftee Jack Billings has played 81 AFL games in the same period, while Freeman’s stats tell a slightly different story.

Two surgeries, endless hours of massage and week after lonely week in the gym, this appeared to be the young Saint’s lot.

Twice he has flown to the other side of the world (the second time self-funded) seeking treatment from renowned sports medicine expert Dr Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt in Munich, Germany.

But despite keeping his head down and ticking every box, the chance to fulfil a life-long dream had eluded him.

Until now.

The groundswell from St Kilda supporters began the instant he posted 37 possessions and a goal in his seventh consecutive match for Sandringham.

Surely, the time had come.

The crescendo of external noise had peaked by Thursday afternoon, when the Saints’ match committee met after training to finalise the Round 20 side.

Freeman has often been bemused by this interest in him, almost embarrassed by the attention.

It’s part of his make-up: humble, polite, unassuming.

But his biggest asset by far, the quality he will long be remembered for, is his unshakable resilience.

Dealing with persistent injuries, including a significant shoulder blow this year, has forced the 23-year-old to build a layer of armour well beyond his years.

St Kilda rehab specialist Marcus Krygger estimates that Freeman has spent about 70 percent of his time at the Saints in the rehab group, but he struggles to remember a time when his mate ‘Freeza’ wasn’t attacking his rehab with a smile and dogged determination.

Krygger has been right there with the 23-year-old the whole way, so it was no surprise that the strength and conditioning coach’s nerves increased in tandem with Freeman’s as Thursday wore on.

1:30pm. Finally, the wait was over.

WATCH: Freeza gets the news

As the players gathered for a session with sports psychologist Emma Murray, coach Alan Richardson addressed the group.

Midway through his preamble about what it means to make your AFL debut, the senior coach paused, and interrupted himself.

“… I’m not going to be able to hold it back any longer … Nathan Freeman, you’re in.”

The playing group roared as one, leaping over seats to congratulate their mate.

There were handshakes, hugs and teary eyes.

More than 1,700 days after being drafted, his turn had finally come.