Harley Reid and George Wardlaw are currently favourites for the 2024 AFL Rising Star but there are a number of others who will make their claims during the season.

With all of the talk about Melbourne’s list starting to age, it’s worth noting that the Demons have the equal highest number of players eligible for this year’s award - 13, along with Geelong, GWS Giants and West Coast. 

The players in question might not yet be considered leading contenders but one never knows:-

Bailey Laurie
Taj Woewodin
Daniel Turner
Caleb Windsor
Matthew Jefferson
Blake Howes
Jed Adams
Will Verrall
Oliver Sestan
Koltyn Tholstrup
Kynan Brown
Kyah Farris-White
Andy Moniz-Wakefield

Every player eligible for the 2024 Rising Star Award

C. Windsor.

Why not?

Its already been given to Nick Daicos, even though he is ineligible. 

Sorry to hijack the thread, but it had to be said. I feel better now :)

18 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Harley Reid and George Wardlaw are currently favourites for the 2024 AFL Rising Star but there are a number of others who will make their claims during the season.

With all of the talk about Melbourne’s list starting to age, it’s worth noting that the Demons have the equal highest number of players eligible for this year’s award - 13, along with Geelong, GWS Giants and West Coast. 

The players in question might not yet be considered leading contenders but one never knows:-

Bailey Laurie
Taj Woewodin
Daniel Turner
Caleb Windsor
Matthew Jefferson
Blake Howes
Jed Adams
Will Verrall
Oliver Sestan
Koltyn Tholstrup
Kynan Brown
Kyah Farris-White
Andy Moniz-Wakefield

Every player eligible for the 2024 Rising Star Award

I find this talk of aging funny.

Pendlebury just won a flag at 35. No reason Max and May can't do the same

Hmm, who are the obvious contenders?

Harley Reid and Colby McKercher are ready-to-go high impact and visibility players in teams that will be making maximum use of them from day dot.

Ryley Sanders' sheer consistency could count for a lot and he might have a great opportunity given the Dogs have inside mid depth but also can effectively rotate those mids to other roles. I mean, it starts getting silly to rely on Bontempelli to be your best player at clearances and your best general forward at the same time. Sanders doing well in the specific role could see him immediately established as a primary ball-winner and having a serious impact on the Dogs' season.

Jed Walter comes in at a beastly 195cm and 97kg - possibly the most 'built' tall forward to come in since Hawkins - and it could be very interesting to see what happens with the three talls. (When your key forwards are pick 2, pick 3 and pick 6, what do you do? Personally I'm still hoping we can peel Lukosious off to Melbourne as the surplus one).

Daniel Curtin could face the incredible task of being a team's main tall defender in his first season, and if he so much as survives without being humiliated he'll be under consideration.

As for Caleb Windsor... well, outside players have definitely been rewarded in recent years, though mostly when their main job has been rebounding off the half-back line (Sheezel, Daicos, McGrath, Mills). Dyson Heppell is probably the most similar Rising Star winner to Windsor and if you account for the handicap of playing for and leading Essendon he had a pretty solid career.

1 hour ago, DistrACTION Jackson said:

I find this talk of aging funny.

Pendlebury just won a flag at 35. No reason Max and May can't do the same

this sent me on a curiosity chase. 

geelong's average age in 2022 was 28yr 7 months
Pies last year was 27year 9 months
ours in 2021 was 24yr 10 months

our semi final last year, our average age was 26yr 5 months. (the blues were 6 months younger than us)

oh, and for reference the youngest team to win a flag was the pies in 2010 at 24 years and 2 months......younger even than the baby bombers.

what does this mean? i dont know.

Reid, Wardlaw, Sanders and McKercher will be hard to beat. 

Nick Watson is value at $18.

For our guys its more about who can debut or who can be regular best 22 player and push for noms.

Windsor, Laurie, Howes, Turner, Woey are all pushing the best 22 so would love to see a few noms. Tholstrup probably not far off either.

The rest will do well to get debuts.

If the Australian day intra club game was any indication, Laurie’s not only wining the Rising star but he’s also making the All Australian 40 squad.

I was blown away by the improvement from last year (aside from a promising rd 24 game Vs Sydney) to that January morning. 

12 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If the Australian day intra club game was any indication, Laurie’s not only wining the Rising star but he’s also making the All Australian 40 squad.

I was blown away by the improvement from last year (aside from a promising rd 24 game Vs Sydney) to that January morning. 

Hope he makes a few D/L sceptics choke on their weeties. Some do not understand the difference if a pre season especially if the player has done the work not just altered their body shape.

Granted he still has to show in the next couple of trials how much improvement he has made. 

But if Bailey can become like Judd McVee did last season we have another prospect to improve our forward connection.

I also thought the last quarter and a bit last year vs Swans  was a good guide to some impressive upgrade in form. QF was not his match but you can tell from some highlight reels early with some like The Duke (Windsor) and also I remember Harry Perry’s reel and he looked a defender even then. 

Now he will without doubt be our forward saviour if fitness permits. 

11 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

Jed Walter comes in at a beastly 195cm and 97kg - possibly the most 'built' tall forward to come in since Hawkins - and it could be very interesting to see what happens with the three talls. (When your key forwards are pick 2, pick 3 and pick 6, what do you do? Personally I'm still hoping we can peel Lukosious off to Melbourne as the surplus one).

Think Jed Walter did his collarbone in late January. Will be a late starter. 

Disco has a bit of 2004 winner Jared Rivers about him.

20 minutes ago, Wrecker46 said:

Disco has a bit of 2004 winner Jared Rivers about him.

Aren’t we still waiting to hear from the club as to the extent of the injury that’s kept him off the track recently?

1 hour ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Aren’t we still waiting to hear from the club as to the extent of the injury that’s kept him off the track recently?

Probably just a dance floor mishap

On 15/02/2024 at 18:18, Whispering_Jack said:

Harley Reid and George Wardlaw are currently favourites for the 2024 AFL Rising Star but there are a number of others who will make their claims during the season.

With all of the talk about Melbourne’s list starting to age, it’s worth noting that the Demons have the equal highest number of players eligible for this year’s award - 13, along with Geelong, GWS Giants and West Coast. 

The players in question might not yet be considered leading contenders but one never knows:-

Bailey Laurie
Taj Woewodin
Daniel Turner
Caleb Windsor
Matthew Jefferson
Blake Howes
Jed Adams
Will Verrall
Oliver Sestan
Koltyn Tholstrup
Kynan Brown
Kyah Farris-White
Andy Moniz-Wakefield

Every player eligible for the 2024 Rising Star Award

Woey for sure.

On 15/02/2024 at 20:43, Timothy Reddan-A'Blew said:

C. Windsor.

Why knot?

Fixed it for you

5 hours ago, Sideshow Bob said:

Fixed it for you

You have unsubtled my subtle, Bob!😄

14 hours ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Aren’t we still waiting to hear from the club as to the extent of the injury that’s kept him off the track recently?

WJ always a step ahead. Look forward to your 2024 draft smokies

On 16/02/2024 at 18:39, Bring-Back-Powell said:

If the Australian day intra club game was any indication, Laurie’s not only wining the Rising star but he’s also making the All Australian 40 squad.

I was blown away by the improvement from last year (aside from a promising rd 24 game Vs Sydney) to that January morning. 

That's exciting...what was the thing that impressed you most 

9 hours ago, adonski said:

That's exciting...what was the thing that impressed you most 

He was in everything that day and I finally could see why Taylor spent a first rounder on him.

His disposal was outstanding and nailed 2 classy goals. Looked like a genuine AFL player (albeit not against a proper opponent)

I know he’s clearly not going to win the rising star or make the All Australian but he’s my prediction for our most improved player.