Promising West Coast Eagles youngster Jobe Shanahan will make his AFL debut this Saturday in the round 16 clash against Collingwood at Marvel Stadium.

The versatile tall has impressed in recent weeks for the WAFL Eagles, building form across both ends of the ground and earning praise from senior coach Andrew McQualter, who confirmed the 18-year-old’s selection ahead of the Eagles' trip east.

“He’s probably played his best two games the last two games,” McQualter said.

“Jobe is a really talented player. He’s starting to build his craft around contest.

“At times he can look a little bit laconic, but he’s a really good competitor Jobe, so we’ve liked that in his game.”

Shanahan was told of his debut in a unique way at training, lining up for goal before McQualter stopped the group and raised the stakes.

“’Mini’ stopped everyone right when I was going to kick it,” Shanahan said.

“He said ‘if you kick this, you’ll be playing AFL this weekend’.

“Pretty shocked really. When he said that, I was really excited to be playing and to have all my family there means a lot.”

The moment quickly turned into a celebration as teammates swarmed Shanahan after he slotted the shot.

“It’s definitely a pinch myself moment,” Shanahan said.

“When all the boys got around me I got so excited, no clue what was going on but keen to get out there and have a crack on Marvel.”

Since arriving at the club as a key forward, Shanahan has embraced a steep learning curve, developing his defensive craft against seasoned WAFL players.

“I’ve been working hard with the coaches on my craft and physicality. I’ve taken a lot from that and will continue to learn,” Shanahan said.

“I came here as a key forward, but I’ve now learned the back line craft, which gives me insight into what my defender will be doing which has really helped my development.”

Hailing from Moama on the New South Wales/Victorian border, the athletic young gun starred for the Bendigo Pioneers, Essendon’s VFL team and the Allies last year before being taken with pick 30 in the national draft.

With his AFL dream now a reality, Shanahan is set to share the milestone with those who mean the most to him.

“To do it in front of family will be great,” he said.

“They’ll all be there watching and supporting. I’m really keen and excited to get out there.”

Shanahan becomes the Eagles’ seventh debutant of the 2025 season – and the fourth member of last year’s national draft crop to play his first AFL game - as the club continues to invest in the next generation of talent.