MATTHEW Leuenberger waited 19 years to make his AFL debut but it was the final 12 minutes that were the hardest.

The highly-rated young ruckman returned to his home town of Perth to play a part in the Lions' stunning upset win over the West Coast Eagles on Saturday night.

Leuenberger was taken by the Lions with their first pick (mumber four) in the 2006 NAB AFL Draft but was expected to spend most of this season developing in the Queensland competition.

Selected for the West Coast game along with fellow debutant Will Hamill, Leuenberger started on the bench, watching on as All-Australian ruckman Dean Cox stamped his authority on the game for the Eagles.
Leuenberger only had to wait until the 12-minute mark of the first quarter for his first taste of action, but to him it seemed like a lifetime.

"It was pretty nerve wracking," he said.

"I had a whole lot of different thoughts running through my head. But once I got out on the field everything was fine. Everything just went back to normal as though I was playing a normal game," he said.

Leuenberger made an emphatic start. Squaring off against Cox, Leuenberger was disadvantaged by a bad bounce but chose to run directly at Cox, knocking his more experienced opponent out of the contest.

Leuenberger laughed off the incident after the game saying it was not pre-meditated.

"No, not at all. It was sort of heat of the moment," he said.

"I was sitting on bench and I could see him racking up a few touches.

"I thought he might be getting his confidence up so I sort of had that in the back of my mind."

Used a back-up to Jamie Charman, Leuenberger spent long stints on the bench but was thrilled with being a part of a win which coach Leigh Matthews rated as being as good as a Grand Final victory

"t’s fantastic, just to be able to come back against such quality opposition as the underdogs and get a win in front of all my family and friends, it’s great,"Leuenberger said.

Leuenberger impressed with his work-rate and competitive spirit as he took the game up to both Cox and Mark Seaby. 

Despite only recording three touches and four hit-outs, Matthews saw enough in Leuenberger’s debut to confirm the Lions had made a wise long-term investment.

"He’s only a boy but I think he’s a very talented boy," the Brisbane coach said.

And against Seaby and Cox, you know they’re established ruckmen and they pushed him around a little bit but he’ll be good," Matthews said.

"He got out there a bit, he got his hands on the ball a couple of times in the flow and I think he’s a talented young player.

"He’s going to have to strengthen up obviously against the big fellas."

Standing at 203 centimetres and listed at 95 kilos, Leuenberger knows his coach is right.

"I am working on that. I think he’s pretty spot on too.

"I’ve probably got a few more kilos to put on in my upper body and legs so it’s a work in progress,” Leuenberger said.

He's keeping his feet firmly on the ground, understanding that the next stage in his development could be a return to the Sun Coast Lions.

“For me this year all I really want to do is improve and become twice as good a player as I was when I first got to the club.

"Hopefully whether it’s playing in the QAFL or playing in the seniors it can help get me to where I want to be," he said.