GIANTS youngster Phoenix Gothard will make his long-awaited AFL debut in Saturday’s huge season opener with the Hawks.  
 
Taken with pick 12 in the 2023 draft, Gothard has impressed for the club’s VFL side over the past two seasons and will now realise his AFL dream on Saturday afternoon. 

The exciting news caps off a strong story of persistence for Gothard, with the 20-year old’s AFL debut set to come 838 days after being drafted.  

An electric small forward with pace to burn, Gothard is blessed with elite agility, clean hands, and a knack for creating something out of nothing around goals. The energetic youngster is also an elite pressure player who will look to slot seamlessly into Adam Kingsley’s pressure-focused forward line. 

Hailing from Albury, Gothard landed at the GIANTS in the first round of the 2023 draft after a string of standout performances for the Murray Bushrangers and Allies at under 18 level.  

Injuries interrupted both his 2024 and 2025 seasons, but Gothard became a key piece of the club’s VFL side in the latter half of last year, highlighted by a 20-disposal, four-goal game in the club’s VFL Wildcard Final against the Tigers. 

Carrying over that strong VFL form into the summer, Gothard impressed throughout pre-season and was a strong contributor in last week’s AAMI Community Series clash with the Swans to earn his AFL call-up on Saturday.  

Gothard was informed of his upcoming AFL debut by GIANTS captain Toby Greene at training on Thursday afternoon.  

“I’m obviously very excited. It’s been a long couple of years. I’m just pumped,” Gothard said following the news. 

“All you can do is hope and put your best foot forward, so I did that and lucky enough [my debut has come].  

“The last couple of years I’ve had a lot of injuries and a lot of setbacks, so I’ve waited for this moment to come along, and it’s been a long time. It’s super rewarding.” 

Gothard’s AFL debut will come at 4:15pm on Saturday when the GIANTS take on the Hawks at ENGIE Stadium to kickstart the season.