Debutant Bailey Rice had been waiting for over two years to hear his name called out in the weekly team meeting on Thursday.

The son of former St Kilda enforcer Dean Rice, Bailey finally got his chance against Collingwood on Saturday night, and the 21-year-old grabbed it with both hands.

The solidly-built defender gathered 17 disposals in his first senior outing and used the ball extremely well, operating at over 88% efficiency.

Rice’s ability to come off his man and read the play was evident against the Magpies, with the father-son acquisition picking up eight intercept possessions.

“I thought Bailey handled himself well,” senior coach Alan Richardson said after the match.

“He’ll learn from the experience, and we think he’s going to be a good player for us going forward.”

The Saints will need to bring their best this weekend when they face reigning premiers Richmond at the MCG on Saturday afternoon.