The No.29 will grace a football field for North Melbourne once again, with No.3 draft pick Will Phillips set to make his debut.

The 18-year-old was presented his jumper by the man who made it most famous, AFL games record holder, Brent Harvey.

“I’m a bit speechless … just joy, pure joy and excitement at the moment,” Phillips said after learning he’d debut against the Dogs in Round 3.

“I had a bit of a rush of emotion, I was trying to hold in some tears.

“What was going through my head at that point was my family who had given me so much, helped me along the journey - all the people who had just invested so much in me.

“The last three weeks for me haven’t been easy, I’ve had ups and downs, as everyone does, so to finally get the call-up and to hear that for the first time is just unbelievable and I’m so happy, I couldn’t be happier.

“I’m sure I’ll be a bit nervous come game-time but I think good nerves. I’m generally not too nervous but I just can’t wait to get out there.”

North retired ‘Boomer’ Harvey’s jumper after he retired in 2016, and brought it back out in October when Phillips was selected.

“He’s [Harvey] been there since day one, he backed me even when I didn’t get selected and he’s always had that belief in me, as have the other coaches, so I’m really grateful for him and hopefully I can live up to the expectation that goes with that jumper,” he said.

“I think it’s just another number I’ve got to make my own, obviously I’m super grateful to be wearing 29. It’s got a rich history at this club and looking forward to hopefully living up to that expectation without weighing me down at all and just can’t wait to pull it on, on Friday.”

Phillips played his first competitive game on the weekend in a VFL practice match, having sat out the past 18 months due to the Covid pandemic.

“I look back on last year and whilst it might have put me behind a little bit I try and take the positive out of it and take out of it what I thought I would gain from it,” he said.

“It gave me a chance to get my body right, I had a few niggles early last year so that’s something I’m grateful for and I might not have ended up here if I’d actually played last year.

“Things change throughout the year and players play of different standards and I’m just so grateful North had faith in me and belief that whilst I didn’t play last year I was capable of being a number 3 pick and be a player that would do well for the footy club.”

The occasion will be a memorable one too, for Harvey.

“It will be great to see the number on the back of our famous royal blue and white stripes again, and I believe Will will make the number his own in the coming years,” Harvey said.

“He’s a great young kid with a lot of talent and I can’t wait to see how he goes, not just on Friday, but in the decades to come in the midfield for us.”