The cancellation of the scheduled Opening Round home clash with Essendon due to Cyclone Albert has meant for the third time in five years the SUNS will play their first game of the new season in Perth.

They lost by 25 points in Round 1, 2021, when they conceded the last five goals, and won by 27 points in 2022, when Matt Rowell was best afield with 33 possessions.

Overall, the SUNS have a 6-8 record overall in the first game of the season, having also beaten St Kilda at home by 13 points in 2013, when Gary Ablett Jnr put on a clinic with 34 possessions and four goals, and Richmond by 18 points at home in 2014, when Ablett had 41 possessions and kicked two goals for another three Brownlow Medal votes.

In 2016, Aaron Hall led a 61-point romp against a depleted Essendon at home, and in 2018 Jarrod Harbrow enjoyed a memorable homecoming, picking up three votes in a 16-point win over North in Cairns.

Overall, the SUNS have played their first game of the season eight times at People First Stadium, twice at Optus Stadium, and once each at the Gabba, MCG, Marvel Stadium and in Cairns.

They’ve played West Coast, Richmond and St Kilda twice in the season opener, and Adelaide, Brisbane, Carlton, Essendon, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Sydney once each.

With John Noble and Daniel Rioli set to be players #150 and #151 on the SUNS all-time list on Sunday, conversation among hard-core fans turns to memorable debuts. But, statistically at least, whose has been best?

Among 46 imports only three players have topped 30 possessions in their first game in red and yellow – and two of those came in the club’s first AFL game in 2011. Michael Rischitelli (31) and Daniel Harris (30) topped the list until 2016, when Matt Rosa, now List Manager at Essendon, had a club record 32 possessions in his first outing.

Three imports kicked two goals in their SUNS debut – Jacob Townsend in the first of just two games for the club in 2021, and Levi Casboult and Mabior Chol in the same game in 2022.

Among 103 AFL debutants, only four players have had more than 20 possessions. Sam Clohesy set the club record at 22 last year to better Michael Coad’s 20 in 2011, Josh Glenn’s 21 in 2015, and Bodhi Uwland’s 20 in 2023.

The club record for most goals in their SUNS debut – and the only SUNS debutant to poll in the Brownlow Medal – was Izak Rankine. He had 12 possessions and kicked three goals for one vote in a 17-point loss to Melbourne at the ENGIE Stadium during the pandemic-affected season of 2020.

Several other SUNS made memorable debuts for various reasons. Current AFLW Assistant Coach Sam Iles, a seven-game player at Collingwood in 2006-07, debuted for the SUNS five years later in their first win against Port Adelaide at Football Park in Round 5, 2012, when they came from 28 points down at the last change to win by three points.

Corey Ellis, a 27-gamer at Richmond from 2015-18, debuted for the SUNS in the first AFL game played at Riverway Stadium in Townsville in Round 13 2019, when they lost by four points after leading at every change.

And Charlie Constable, who played 12 games at Geelong from 2019-21 before heading north, had perhaps the most forgettable debut against Hawthorn in Darwin – he spent the entire game in the substitute’s bench. Game time – 0 minutes.