EVERY young footballer dreams of pulling on an AFL guernsey and running out on the MCG.

In Round 15 last season, Harry Petty did just that.

The key defender made his senior debut against the Saints on a Sunday afternoon, but unfortunately, his day didn’t go to script.

“Obviously I didn’t play the game I wanted to,” Petty told Melbourne Media.

“I probably didn’t have the best night’s sleep. I was a bit nervous thinking about things.

“I actually took Christian Petracca to the game and he was just saying there was no need to be nervous – it’s just another game of footy.

“I was alright until about the first bounce, then the nerves started to kick in again.”

A day which began with so much promise, ended with a heartbreaking two-point loss for Petty and his Demons.

But the resilience of the man has allowed him to bounce back strong, looking right at home in game No.2 when he took on the Eagles.

“I definitely felt more ready,” Petty said.

“I played one JLT match at Shepparton against Richmond and I thought I played pretty good footy in that, then just built on my form in the VFL at Casey and finally got my opportunity.

“I was probably stronger and fitter and more ready to go last week, so I sort of showed that on Friday night as well.”

Although Melbourne fell by 16 points against West Coast in Round 9, Petty enjoyed his second outing as an AFL player.

“It was good to get out there at Optus Stadium – it’s a bloody good stadium to play on and it was really loud too,” Petty said.

“I finally found a bit of consistency in my footy and got my opportunity last week, so it was good.”

At just 19 years of age, Petty is a mature footballer who reads the ball well, and that was on show as he played an important defensive role for his side in Perth.

“I felt really comfortable out there,” he said.

“The whole team played well, and the team defence was unbelievable – that made my job a lot easier.”

Petty will take plenty of confidence into his third career game as the Dees take on GWS at the MCG on Sunday.