St Kilda will blood five club debutants ahead of its 2021 season opener against GWS on Sunday afternoon.

Jack Higgins, Shaun McKernan and Mason Wood will each begin fresh chapters in new colours, while Paul Hunter and Tom Highmore are set to get their first taste at AFL level after earning their respective debuts earlier in the week.

The Saints will welcome back Jimmy Webster and Jade Gresham to the line-up after considerable time on the sidelines through injury, with Webster's last senior game coming in Round 8, 2019.

Inside midfielder Jack Bytel has also been picked in the starting 22 and will be joined in the engine room by Jack Steele, who will captain his first match for Premiership points against his former side.

Daniel McKenzie, Luke Dunstan, Jake Carlisle and Dean Kent have been selected as emergencies. 

Zak Jones (hamstring) and Dan Hannebery (calf) remain unavailable but are slated to return to the line-up within the fortnight, while Max King will also miss the club's Round 1 bout with concussion.

St Kilda will look to open its 2021 campaign with a win against GWS, with the opening bounce at GIANTS Stadium set for 3:20pm.

Round 1 | GWS v St Kilda

IN: Higgins (new), Highmore (debut), Hunter (debut), McKernan (new), Wood (new)