The AFL will present the Ron Evans Medal on Thursday September 24 as part of the AFL Awards broadcast across Fox Footy, Kayo and via AFL Live Pass commencing at 5.30pm AWST.
The NAB AFL Rising Star Award was instituted in 1993 to recognise and encourage talented young players in the AFL. To be eligible for the AFL Rising Star Award, each year's nominated players must be under the age of 21 at 1 January and have played no more than 10 AFL games to the start of that season.
One nominee is chosen each week during the home-and-away season with the winner to be decided by a panel of selectors at the end of the season. Each selector shall nominate the 5-best performed eligible players from the weekly nominees based on their performance during the home and away matches.
The NAB AFL Rising Star selection panel is Gillon McLachlan (chairman), Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Steve Hocking, Glen Jakovich, Chris Johnson, Cameron Ling, Matthew Richardson, Warren Tredrea and Kevin Sheehan.
In 2007, the AFL Rising Star Award was named in memory of former AFL Commission Chairman Ron Evans and the winner receives the Ron Evans Medal. The winner also receives a $20,000 investment portfolio from NAB with a dedicated financial planner to assist with their wealth creation strategy.
The 2020 NAB AFL Rising Star Nominees:
Round 1 – Sam Sturt, Fremantle
3 games in 2020.
23 disposals, 12 kicks, 11 handballs, 7 marks, 3 tackles, 4 goals.
Round 2 – Matt Rowell, Gold Coast SUNS
5 games in 2020.
87 disposals, 38 kicks, 49 handballs, 4 marks, 26 tackles, 6 goals.
Round 3 – Connor Budarick, Gold Coast SUNS
15 games in 2020.
138 disposals, 92 kicks, 46 handballs, 35 marks, 25 tackles, 1 goal.
Round 4 – Tom Green, GWS GIANTS
6 games in 2020.
91 disposals, 31 kicks, 60 handballs, 15 marks, 14 tackles, 1 goal.
Round 5 – Curtis Taylor, North Melbourne
9 games in 2020.
92 disposals, 51 kicks, 41 handballs, 32 marks, 14 tackles, 5 goals.
Round 6 – Izak Rankine, Gold Coast SUNS
12 games in 2020.
138 disposals, 90 kicks, 48 handballs, 26 marks, 21 tackles, 12 goals.
Round 7 – Noah Anderson, Gold Coast SUNS
17 games in 2020.
281 disposals, 159 kicks, 122 handballs, 48 marks, 32 tackles, 4 goals.
Round 8 – Caleb Serong, Fremantle
14 games in 2020.
236 disposals, 127 kicks, 109 handballs, 32 marks, 58 tackles, 2 goals.
Round 9 – Mitch Georgiades, Port Adelaide
7 games in 2020.
58 disposals, 39 kicks, 19 handballs, 20 marks, 14 tackles, 8 goals.
Round 10 – Luke Jackson, Melbourne
6 games in 2020.
52 disposals, 19 kicks, 33 handballs, 9 marks, 8 tackles, 3 goals.
Round 11 – Kysaiah Pickett, Melbourne
14 games in 2020.
109 disposals, 62 kicks, 47 handballs, 17 marks, 35 tackles, 7 goals.
Round 12 – Max King, St Kilda
16 games in 2020.
118 disposals, 71 kicks, 47 handballs, 47 marks, 20 tackles, 20 goals.
Round 13 – Brandon Starcevich, Brisbane Lions
16 games in 2020.
149 disposals, 113 kicks, 36 handballs, 51 marks, 24 tackles, 1 goal.
Round 14 – Jake Riccardi, GWS Giants
5 games in 2020.
52 disposals, 37 kicks, 15 handballs, 30 marks, 2 tackles, 9 goals.
Round 15 – Justin McInerney, Sydney Swans
9 games in 2020.
125 disposals, 60 kicks, 65 handballs, 26 marks, 13 tackles, 5 goals.
Round 16 – Will Day, Hawthorn
11 games in 2020.
172 disposals, 100 kicks, 72 handballs, 48 marks, 15 tackles, 1 goal.
Round 17 – Isaac Quaynor, Collingwood
9 games in 2020.
128 disposals, 65 kicks, 63 handballs, 30 marks, 19 tackles.
Round 18 – Lachlan Sholl, Adelaide CROWS
8 games in 2020.
105 disposals, 72 kicks, 33 handballs, 24 marks, 7 tackles, 2 goals.
