It may not have been a dream start for West Coast’s newest debutant, Malakai Champion, but the 19-year-old was still all smiles after a whirlwind 24 hours.

Champion came on at half-time in the Eagles’ 59-point defeat to GWS on Friday night, collecting six touches and a mark in his first AFL game.

The small forward admitted that the nerves got to him in his opening minutes of senior footy, but found his rhythm as the game went on.

“At half time, Mini told me I was coming in, and I don’t think you could wipe the smile off my face during the half-time warm-up,” he told club media.

“The game came around so fast that the first and second quarter went like that. After the first three minutes, I was dead puffed out, but after that, all the gas got out of my system and I felt a lot better.

“To see all my family out in the crowd, I think there were about 50 of them out there, so I was just so excited.”

Champion’s first touch saw a shot on goal smothered off the boot, and said he burned Tyler Brockman late in the game, admitting he got caught up in the moment.

“That one I kicked across the face, I was going for goal and I saw [Tyler] Brockman leading to me, and 10 out of 10 times I would have hit him, but I knew no one was behind him, and it’s just that last little bit of composure,” he said.

However, while his debut ended in defeat, Champion could be one to flourish under Andrew McQualter’s run-and-gun game plan.

“But I loved it, the speed is what I love, the contest ball run and carry and braking lines are how I love to play my footy,” he said.