West Coast Eagles’ mid-season draftee Marcus Herbert will don the blue and gold for the first time when he makes his AFL debut against North Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Saturday.

Recruited from the Geelong VFL program, Herbert was selected with pick 13 in the 2026 Mid-Season Rookie Draft and joined the Eagles after claiming Geelong’s 2025 VFL Best and Fairest award.

“It’s been a whirlwind, only two weeks ago I was ready to go to footy training at Geelong VFL,” Herbert said.

“To hear my name get called out (in the Mid-Season Rookie Draft) is pretty special.

“Two weeks in and getting my debut, a bit unexpected but super keen.”

The 23-year-old is a composed and consistent performer across half-back and through the midfield and has already shown his skillset while competing in the WAFL over the past two weeks. 

Herbert picked up 23 disposals in his first match against Peel Thunder and 16 in the upset win over Claremont last Saturday.

“The WAFL boys have been awesome,” Herbert said.

“We had one win and one loss, but we knocked off the top team, so it’s been great fun with them.”

Herbert has a reputation for his high football IQ, clean ball handling and ability to perform under pressure, and his strength around the contest and versatility are set to make him a key asset at AFL level.

The Eagles take on North Melbourne at Optus Stadium on Saturday at 2:15pm, with the game broadcast live in WA on Channel 7 and 7plus, and nationally on Fox Footy and Kayo.