It might be Alastair Clarkson's 300th AFL game but the legendary Hawthorn coach says one of his biggest rushes is handing out first games.
Clarkson enjoyed that experience on Thursday, telling teenage Irish recruit Conor Glass he'd be debuting on Saturday against Fremantle.
The Hawks boss was glowing as he recalled the buzz that he - and his players - took from handing out his debut.
"What I love about these guys, especially international recruits ... is they've made significant sacrifices. They've made a real decision that they want to give AFL a go," he said on Friday.
"The guys that come from overseas, they land in your country and the only people they know really are their teammates ... by and large their family is the footy club.
"They rely on us and we want to invest enormously in them.
"When someone like Conor Glass gets the opportunity to play their first game - when we announced it yesterday to the playing group, they were over the moon that he was going to get an opportunity."
Clarkson suggested Glass, 19, had the potential to be a fan favourite.
"He's a half-back flanker, winger. He's got a flash of orange hair like Roughy so he'll be easily recognisable for all our fans," he said.
"He's a very, very talented Gaelic footballer.
"(Glass and fellow Irish recruit Conor Nash) toss around a round ball at footy training from time to time and they can control that round ball like nothing else. You just think of what they could have been doing in Ireland as a Gaelic footballer or soccer player or hurling player.
"We're delighted he's at our footy club."
Despite the Hawks renewal in 2017, Glass is just the fourth Hawk to debut this season after Teia Miles, Dallas Willsmore and James Cousins.
Only five clubs have fielded fewer than Hawthorn - with North Melbourne leading the way with nine debutants.
Clarkson said he hoped to hand out more opportunities before season's end.
"Harry Morrison was really close to getting a game this week," he said.
"We've got some talent in our Box Hill side that we'll like to see get an opportunity (but) we'll have to wait and see if it materialises over the next couple of weeks."
