PORT ADELAIDE defender Jake Pasini will make his long-awaited club debut in the SANFL game against North Adelaide on Saturday.

The 20-year-old was selected in the 2019 rookie draft but the club’s absence from the SANFL competition in 2020 and a pre-season shoulder injury requiring a reconstruction has meant he has had to wait more than 18 months to play his first game of league football.

He will be joined in the team by two other debutants in defender Tim Dickson and forward Bailey Nicholas – a recent injury replacement signing from the Cove Football Club.

Injuries to captain Cam Sutcliffe and midfielder Taj Schofield see them drop out of the side.

Martin Frederick, Sam Mayes and Boyd Woodcock also go out, having been named among the AFL emergencies, while Peter Ladhams has also been held over as an emergency having been omitted from the AFL side this week.

Any emergency not used at AFL level will be eligible to feature during Saturday's game, which gets underway at 1:25pm at Prospect Oval.

Round 12 – Port Adelaide v North Adelaide