If Collingwood’s AFLW outfit kicks off their season with a victory on Saturday, spare a thought for the drinks department. They are going to need a huge supply of Gatorade.

That’s because the new-look Magpies are unveiling 10 debutantes against Richmond at Ikon Park for their opening game of the season, which is almost half their team.

If this fresh-faced outfit has a win, tradition dictates the newbies will be standing in the middle of a huddle getting showered by their teammates while singing their new club’s song. That’s if they even know the words.

“I’m happy to supply enough Gatorade as long as it’s not coming over to the coach,” Magpies coach Sam Wright joked this week.

Wright, who played 136 games with North Melbourne and took over the Magpie coaching role in 2024, said bringing in so many new players this year had reinvigorated the group, rather than confuse the coach’s messaging.

“We’re a really well-resourced program, so we have got full-timers, and the first thing we did was print off a whole new playing list for every staff member, and it’s like, you’re looking at it and a third of your list is different.

“I think the ones that struggled were our part-time staff, just seeing all these different faces.

“But that’s been exciting for our group and our staff because our program is seeing all these different young players, and players that we’ve got from other clubs, come in and add all these new weapons.

“So, that’s been super exciting. But it’s the Australian way, isn’t it? If you’re not sure, we call each other ‘mate’. So that was happening for the first couple of weeks, I reckon.”

The Magpie debutantes include four recruits from rival clubs – Ariana Hetherington (North Melbourne), Mattea Breed (Hawthorn), Jemma Rigoni (Melbourne) and Charlotte Brewer (Carlton) – and five from last year’s national draft, Imogen Trengove, Amy Smith, Mischa Barwin, Josie Bamford and Zara Neuwirth. Dom Carbone was signed three weeks ago from the VFLW program as an injury-replacement player.

Brewer’s name will have a familiar ring to the Magpie army. The 19-year-old’s grandfather, Ross Brewer, played 47 games in the black and white after crossing from Melbourne in 1979. He is remembered for booting the winning goal for the Magpies against Fitzroy in the 1981 semi-final.

Another new Magpie with links to the AFL is 22-year-old Rigoni, whose father, Guy, played 107 games for Melbourne. The young defender played just eight games across two injury-plagued years with the Demons after being taken as a father-daughter pick in the 2023 draft.

But despite her heritage, she told The Age she did not grow up hating any rival teams. Not even Collingwood. “I respect footy for what it is,” she said.

“I think, for my dad – he always said he just wanted me to forge my own path, whatever that looked like.

“He was originally drafted to Hawthorn but never got an opportunity there. Melbourne gave him that opportunity, so I feel like it’s almost a full-circle moment for me because I was very lucky to get an opportunity at Melbourne, but I actually made my debut against Collingwood last year, and I’ve ended up here. I feel like that’s kind of a bit special in itself.

“I have done the same thing as my dad ... he started somewhere and ended up somewhere else. I feel like that could be my story, too.”

Rigioni said familiarity with her new teammates was not an issue. She could reel off their names, their nicknames and said she had no problem remembering the Collingwood theme song.

“I watched a lot of footy growing up, so I actually came in already knowing the words,” she said.

But Rigoni was not convinced about being sprayed with Gatorade after a winning game.

“I hope not, for the sake of my hair,” she said. “But I’m not sure what the tradition is here. Let’s hope it’s just water, if anything.”

Wright said the Magpies had concentrated on building strong defensive habits across his first two years in charge, but had recruited this year to ramp up their offence, which will include playing captain Ruby Schleicher in the forward line.

“I think they’re the most competitive bunch of first-year players that I’ve ever seen across men’s and women’s programs in my time in footy,” he said.

“The players coming in from other clubs have been targeted for what they can bring to our offence. So, what I would say is, speed and athleticism will be on show, which is really exciting.”

Not to be outdone, the Gold Coast Suns will also play 10 debutantes in their clash against the Western Bulldogs on Saturday night. Seven of those new faces are Suns academy graduates.