In a word: Awesome. That was how Sunday’s debutant, Brandon White, described the build-up to his first AFL game and the game itself, after the rebounding defender made a strong start to his career against Brisbane on Sunday.

The 19-year-old became the Saints third debutant for 2016 at Etihad Stadium, with the Dandenong Stingrays product joining fellow 2015 draftee, Jade Gresham, and ruckman Lewis Pierce.

White didn’t have to wait long to be involved in the play, with the ball finding his hands inside the opening minute, before White used his raking left-foot to drive it back down the line. By the end of his first game, White finished with 13 disposals at a very tidy 92.3 efficiency rate, along with five spoils and a goal in a bright start.

“It was an awesome experience. I was pretty happy with the way I played; I played my role. It was good to get out there with the boys finally,” White told saints.com.au after Sunday’s 58-point over Brisbane.

“The build-up was amazing. I was overwhelmed by the messages by friends and family, even teammates getting around me – it was awesome.

After being forced to bide his time at Sandringham, waiting all year for an opportunity, he didn’t have to look far for advice or for comfort, with the Saints back six stacked with experience. Sam Fisher and Sean Dempster held down the key posts, while Leigh Montagna and Jarryn Geary were also close by for support.

“They were very helpful. It was just awesome to play alongside them. ‘Chips’ is a legend of the club; Sean is as well. As is ‘Gears’ and of course ‘Joey’ – there’s heaps of them down there. I really enjoyed me time down there,” White said.

White indicated that sneaking in a debut before the season drew to a close will provide him with fuel for his second pre-season at Linen House Centre.

“It builds confidence as well. It’s good to see what it’s like before going into pre-season and what I need to work on. There’s obviously a lot I need to work on, but I’m not afraid to do the work,” he said.