Adelaide will unveil a debutant in Saturday's season opener against Hawthorn at Adelaide Oval.
Teenager Chayce Jones will pull on the tricolours in front of a massive home crowd after being confirmed as a certain starter on Thursday.
Jones, 19, was recruited to West Lakes with pick No.9 in last year’s National Draft, the Club’s first top-10 selection since Phil Davis in 2008.
He put his name up in lights with an impressive performance in Adelaide’s second JLT Community Series clash with Greater Western Sydney, thriving in a role as a pressure forward.
Speaking to AFC Media, Jones revealed Crows coach Don Pyke delivered the good news to him late on Tuesday afternoon.
"I found out after a meeting when Pykey just came up and said, 'I'd like to catch up’," Jones said.
"We went into his office; he just stuck his hand out and said 'congrats, you're in’.
"I didn’t know what to say, I couldn’t stop smiling for the next 24 hours."
After sharing the exciting developments with his family and closest friends, Jones was forced to keep the news under wraps for two days.
It was on Thursday morning, in a team meeting at Adelaide Oval, Pyke confirmed the Tasmanian would become Crow No. 224.
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"He said I was making a debut and then everyone was just clapping and cheering and got into a bit of a chant there at one stage," Jones said.
"I was a little bit overwhelmed. It was a moment where everyone’s clapping for you and don’t know what to do, sitting there like you’re trying to say thank you.
"It’s awesome to pull on the guernsey with them all."
Chayce Jones celebrates a goal with Eddie Betts in JLT2
Ahead of his debut, Jones has already picked the brains of veteran ruckman Sam Jacobs and second-year forward Lachlan Murphy with both providing similar feedback – to 'make the most of it'.
The level-headed teenager plans on keeping the lead-up as relaxed as possible, with his parents and girlfriend landing in Adelaide on Friday.
However, knowing he will be running out alongside the likes of Taylor Walker, Rory Sloane and Eddie Betts, and playing in a game against premiership Hawks such as Jarryd Roughead and Shaun Burgoyne, is something that hasn’t quite sunk in yet.
"You think about this time last year and you just dream of it," Jones said.
"For it to be actually happening is just still surreal.
"To be running out with, and to playing against some of the people that I will be is just amazing."
