As AFL debuts go, it was one of the better ones we’ve seen at the Bulldogs in recent years.

At least that’s what the skipper Robert Murphy told SEN radio on Monday afternoon.

But as the euphoria of a round one victory swept the Bulldogs change rooms at Etihad Stadium the day before, that kind of talk seemed far away as Marcus Adams was unable to keep the smile off of his face.

You could talk about stats all day, and they were solid (15 disposals, 8 marks at 93.3% efficiency), but Adams’ road to the AFL was a long one.

On occasions like these perhaps it’s best to enjoy the human side of our game for a moment.

“It was the best day of my life I reckon” Adams told westernbulldogs.com.au immediately after the match.

“It would have to be up there, at least top two.”

Adams looked calm under fire at various times during the game, impressive when you consider that the 23-year old spent more time on Fremantle star Nat Fyfe than any of his teammates, and when he wasn’t busy with the Brownlow Medallist he was going head-to-head with Matthew Pavlich.

Pavlich finished the game with six touches and the one goal, but typically of this young Western Bulldogs group, Adams was quick to defer credit to his teammates.

“The backline as a group – we’ve got great unity down there and we’ve been working really hard on that team defence, and today that showed through.”