Milan Murdock soaks in stunning Eagles debut, including joining Shannon Hurn in ‘first kick, first goal’ club

Milan Murdock has been at the Eagles for 18 days. Shannon Hurn played there for 18 years. But the shortest-tenured and longest-tenured West Coast players have bonded over their membership in the ‘first kick, first goal’ club as the former comes to grips with his stunning AFL debut last weekend. Murdock wasted no time in making a strong first impression after earning a senior call-up for the season opener despite joining the Eagles barely a fortnight out from the fixture against Gold Coast, booting a goal after just eight minutes and going on to record the third-highest rated club debut by way of Champion Data ranking points this century. It was the sixth-fastest goal by a West Coast debutant since 2000 - Scott Lycett holds the record with just 51 seconds - and came in almost half the time of Hurn’s long-range effort after 18-and-a-half minutes with his first kick against Brisbane in 2006. Murdock earnt the major with a superb tackle on Mac Andrew and a subsequent 50m penalty after setting off a reaction from the Suns defender to help immediately endear himself to Eagles fans. “I probably know what Mac’s like, watching him over the years,” Murdock said on 92.9 Triple M. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Mac - he’s a great player. But he just couldn’t hold his temper out there, and I got under his skin pretty easily. “It’s pretty cool to be a part of the ‘first kick, first goal’ club. I was talking about it with ‘Bunga’ (Hurn) this week, because he’s in it, somehow.” A development coach at the Eagles, Hurn will be a valuable mentor for Murdock as he continues his crash course in adapting to the rigours of life at AFL level. The 25-year-old said the response from fans, friends and family to his superb debut in West Coast’s loss had been overwhelming. (“I’ve heard from) a lot of people, for sure,” he said. “It was nice to fly in (on Monday) and put the phone away for the arvo and relax.” Murdock said his debut match had been a blur, and it included cramping late in the match for the first time in his footy career. But the strong showing was testament to his ability to stay ready despite being overlooked at the top level multiple times, and now has him poised to make an impact as the rebuilding Eagles eye an improved campaign. “I’ve done as much as I can in the off-season to get myself ready for whatever happens,” Murdock said. “These guys have welcomed me in like anything. It’s crazy. I already feel a part of this West Coast family, and what’s happening here feels special. “The players they’ve got and the hard work that’s going on... I think there’s going to be a bright future.” FASTEST FIRST GOAL BY AN EAGLES DEBUTANT Since 2000