After a long summer, everyone in the footy world looks forward to round one, but spare a thought for those boys playing their first game of League footy.

Josh Dunkley was one of those, but he was fortunate enough to have skipper Bob Murphy around to calm his nerves pre-match with some typically prescient advice.

“Bobby really settled me really well when I first rocked up,” Dunkley said post match.

“He said, just take it all in during the warm up, have a smile on your face, and when you get out there it’s time to get into it.”

And get into it he did.

15 and a half minutes into his AFL career Dunkley registered his first goal after a deft assist from five-goal hero Jake Stringer, and the father-son recruit was on his way.

He would go on to finish with 15 touches, four tackles and four marks in a solid debut performance, but you get the feeling that the 19-year old was just happy to be part of winning Bulldogs side in his first senior game.

“It’s an amazing feeling, getting out there for the first time, he said.

But despite the final scoreline, Dunkley said that Fremantle were a tough opponent all day, the physicality of the big-bodied Dockers tangible.

"We came in here at half-time and we spoke about how the score was irrelevant, the physicality and the pressure on the ball carrier was still massive.

"It could have gone either way, but we got over the top in the end."