Luke Hodge has seen enough of Cameron Rayner to know Brisbane's No.1 draft pick is destined for AFL superstardom.
Rayner made an instant impression in his debut for the Lions on Saturday, booting one goal and showing flashes of strength, cheek and class in their 25-point defeat to St Kilda.
The 18-year-old played up forward and only picked up eight touches in total but it's the way he moves with the ball - and off it as well - that has impressed Hodge.
"He's going to be a jet in the future for this football club," he told reporters on Monday.
"When he gets the ball in his hands he understands what he's doing.
"He reads the game very well."
Lions fans can breathe easy, too, with Victorian Rayner having signed a two-year contract extension in January that ties him to the club until 2021.
Brisbane has lost a host of top-line draft prospect in recent times but it ensures Rayner won't be one of them.
Hodge, who was a No.1 draft pick himself back in 2001, knows all about the pressures that come along with that tag and said Rayner was coping well so far.
"He was pretty calm before the game. He took it in his stride," he said.
"No doubt his family were there and I think they had a few more nerves than what he did."
Hodge, 33, was happy enough with the effort from his young teammates on Saturday, saying their lack of "polish" was the only thing that let them down.
"Unfortunately we just fell a little bit short, even though there were plenty of good signs that came out of the game," he said.
"If you look at contested possession, the way we got the ball out of stoppages, it was really good.
"It's round one and we've got a group that are eager and ready to listen and learn."
Incredibly, Saturday's home clash against Melbourne will mark Hodge's first game at the Gabba in nearly a full decade.
His last match in Brisbane, back in April 2008, was also his only win at the Gabba during his 17-year career.
Hawthorn have only played there once since then but Hodge missed that outing in 2016 due to a knee injury.
