Anticipated by all, the NAB AFL Rising Star award is the ultimate (realistic) individual accolade for budding AFL players.
In a year the award was expected to be dominated by Gold Coast youngsters, two bolters have emerged after 20 rounds in what is the closest competition since 2007.
First year revelation Dyson Heppell and Eagle Luke Shuey have broken away from the pack of youngsters with consistent performances throughout the season. Heppell has played every game in his first year while Shuey has played every game also, although in his third year.
Having raised debate over the eligibility criteria, Shuey has only played six games more than Heppell who is two years his junior.
Despite two additional years in the system, a player qualifies for the award so long as he has played less than ten games and is under 21 at the beginning of the calendar year.
Instilled favourite with Sportsbet, Heppell ($1.50) marginally leads Shuey ($2.50) with the next closest contender David Swallow at $11, who started the year as favourite.
Heppell has proven impressive to many by the sheer fact that this is his first year compared to Shuey’s third. Both proven as critical cogs in their teams success, we cannot dismiss Shuey who plays as an inside midfielder compared to Heppell across half back. This is reflected in their stats.
Averaging 21.4 possessions a game, Heppell slightly pips Shuey’s 20.1, however of those, Shuey averages 9.6 contested possessions against Heppell’s 6.
Gaining a lot more of the ball himself sees Shuey third in contested possessions at West Coast only behind Matt Priddis and Dean Cox.
With recent recruiting emphasis shifting from athletic ability to skill execution, disposal efficiency must also be taken into account.
Due to their different roles, we cannot make a direct comparison since Heppell generally has more time to dispose of the ball.
Let’s compare them to their All-Australian counterparts.
As halfback flankers, Brendan Goddard disposes of the ball at 78.06% and Corey Enright 77.67%. Dyson Heppell disposes at 73.15%.
As inside midfielders, Chris Judd disposes at 66.41% and Gary Ablett 68.74%. Luke Shuey eclipses each of them with 71.25%.
From these comparisons to their All-Australian counterparts, Shuey has proven a more efficient player throughout the season for the role he plays within his team.
Although only $1 separates the two in betting, there is no guarantee that the voting committee will consider the age difference between the two.
With a string of flankers gathering uncontested possessions across the league, few young players have been able to influence clearances in the same manner as Shuey.
It may be difficult to agree on who is a better player but the Rising Star award has taught us, when the competition is this close; both are expected to have highly successful careers.
In 2007, Joel Selwood and Scott Pendlebury were inseparable by many and are now both in the top echelon of players in the league.
With the Brownlow medal allegedly decided already, spotlights will be fixed on Dyson Heppell and Luke Shuey in the coming weeks as we look to crown the 2011 NAB AFL Rising Star.
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