West Coast fans will get their first look at mid-season recruit Tom McCarthy this weekend, as the 24-year-old lines up for the WAFL Eagles in what promises to be the next chapter in his remarkable football journey.

Just days after touching down in Perth for the first time, McCarthy is wasting no time pulling on the blue and gold.

Plucked with pick No.1 in the AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, McCarthy’s story is one of resilience and self-belief. Only last week, he was working a regular job in marketing and prior to that he was stacking shelves at Woolworths. Now, he's training with AFL players and preparing to represent the Eagles tomorrow’s WAFL match against Swan Districts.

The attacking half-back caught the eye of recruiters in Richmond’s VFL side, earning a reputation for his speed and tenacity. With no elite junior pathway and plenty of doubters along the way, McCarthy used the criticism as fuel. Now, he's ready to show the WA fans what he can do.

His first few days at the club have already provided some laughs. Including the discovery of a few old fan messages to now teammate Jayden Hunt, a player McCarthy idolised during his Melbourne supporting days.

“There’s a joke going around that Jayden Hunt was my favourite player back in the day,” McCarthy laughed. “I think I messaged him about his headband and choccie milk!”

It’s been a whirlwind week, but the focus now shifts to Saturday when McCarthy will run out for West Coast's WAFL team, ready to make an immediate impact and begin his journey toward an AFL debut.

"To go from waking up early stacking shelves ... to being footy full time now is a very good thing for me, and I’m so excited," McCarthy said.