Bailey Smith will make his AFL debut when the Western Bulldogs open their 2019 AFL campaign against the Sydney Swans.

Senior coach Luke Beveridge announced the news at a team meeting prior to training on Tuesday afternoon.

The highly-rated teenager joined the Bulldogs with pick seven in last year’s NAB AFL Draft.

After an interrupted pre-season, Smith featured in both JLT Community Series, playing a half of football in each game and collecting nine touches against Gold Coast and 12 against St Kilda.

On Saturday night, the 18-year-old will fulfil a lifelong dream.

“I’m still on cloud nine, I’ve got no words really,” Smith told westernbulldogs.com.au.

“It got announced in the meeting, I didn’t have a clue – I was just shocked. As I said in the meeting, without everyone at the Club, I wouldn’t be where I am today and I’m so grateful.

“To run out in the red, white and blue, with so much history that the Club has is just an honour and something I don’t take lightly.

“I’ll do my best to do the jumper proud.”