Greater Western Sydney midfield star Tom Scully has backed young gun Tim Taranto to make his AFL debut in round one.

Pick No. 2 in last year’s national draft, Taranto has already been dubbed “The Weapon” by his teammates.

The nickname was tested with a crunching hit from Lance Franklin in the first quarter of the Giants 12-point pre-season loss to Sydney last week which saw Taranto taken from the ground.

The 19-year-old returned in the second term to kick a classy goal, showing toughness beyond his years.

“He’s done everything right pre-season and I think last week was just an example of what he’s made of,” Scully said.

“It was a really big moment for him and something he should be proud of.

“He’s a tough kid. He puts his head over the ball and that’s all you can do to earn respect.”

The Giants reinforced their imposing depth with four picks inside the top 20 of last year’s draft.

They also have four former No. 1 picks on their list including Scully who has developed into one of their most important midfielders in a star-studded line-up.

Scully said Taranto had been a clear stand-out of the club’s youngsters with fifth pick Will Setterfield also impressing during the pre-season.

“I think Tim’s composure for a young guy has really stood out,” Scully said.

“There’s no doubt he’s putting pressure on to play early on.

“He’s a great guy, works really hard and he’s done everything right so far.”

Scully and Taranto have been named in a strong Giants squad to face North Melbourne in Canberra on Friday night while Setterfield has been rested.