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The AFL’s Rising Star award for the most valuable rookie players was first introduced in 1993 and it’s easy to make the case that the crop of nominees that year were of a quality that has never been surpassed.
It’s amazing how many nominees from ’93 became undisputed superstars of the competition – Shane Crawford, Nathan Buckley, James Hird, Matthew Richardson and Mark Ricciuto.
The support cast isn’t too bad either – Peter Everitt, recent Hall of Fame inductee Scott West, David Neitz, Dustin Fletcher, Glenn Archer, Sav Rocca, Mark Mercuri and Leigh Colbert, all of whom at some point were in the two or three most important players at their club over celebrated careers.
Even the third tier players from that year became very good footballers – Ang Christou, Nathan Chapman, Joe Misiti, Duncan Kellaway and Rick Olarenshaw.
In 2013, twenty years later, are we seeing a group of players that might one day be comparable to that special bunch?
Jaeger O’Meara is the headline act of this year’s nominees, and you’d struggle to find someone who doesn’t think he’s the complete package. He’s got the skill and poise of Scott Pendlebury, the hardness of Andrew Swallow, the vision of Jobe Watson and looks made for the big stage like a Jimmy Bartel.
Oliver ‘Ollie’ Wines has looked at home since his debut against Melbourne in Round 1. He was in Port’s best that day with 24 hard-won disposals, seven marks, three tackles and a goal. The immediate comparison was with Joel Selwood, an observation not made lightly. He’s continued to thrive at AFL level since.
Nick Vlastuin impressed when he was first seen in the NAB Cup, but had to wait for a Round 5 debut against Fremantle. Everyone watching that night could see that he was something special. Blessed with sure hands and the ability to make the right decision every time, he possesses what used to be called ‘a good footy brain’. Tiger fans can’t believe he got through to pick nine in last years’ draft, but are grateful that he did.
Lachie Whitfield was the number one pick in in that draft, and GWS isn’t planning on handing him back. Has been doing his work off-Broadway in the struggling Giants outfit, which is no easy task (just ask Jack Watts), but he already looks to have a 250 game career ahead of him. With the smarts of a natural footballer and elite skills to match, he’s going to be a gun for a very long time.
Jack Viney, yet to earn a Rising Star nomination, debuted in the same match as his good mate Wines, and was the best player for the hapless Demons. It was an indictment on his football club that after one game he was already in the five most important players there. You get the impression he eats bricks for breakfast, and will be instrumental in helping his club rise from the ashes over the next decade.
Tom Mitchell was drafted in 2011 at pick 21 as a father-son selection, and came with the reputation of being a hard-as-nails ball magnet. He’s only three matches into his AFL career, and the wraps have proven justified. He’s already laid 23 tackles – some players will play every game this year and not lay that many! Sydney are a scary proposition indeed when a player of his ilk wasn’t able to get a game for so long.
It’s not a stretch to think each of the above will be captains of their respective clubs. All ooze leadership in the way they play their football
Of course, some people think the best of last year’s draftees is Joe Daniher, and few have had more hype surrounding them than the 201cm forward/ruckman. Despite only making two appearances so far, he’s shown glimpses enough to suggest the hype was justified. He moves well, has good hands and looks extremely agile for a player of his size.
Other debutants we’ve seen impress this year are Brad Crouch, Sam Mayes, Ben Kennedy, Jackson Thurlow, Jed Anderson, a host of Dogs in Jake Stringer, Jack Macrae, Nathan Hrovat and Lachie Hunter, and of course a Sudanese specimen with a jaw-dropping physique you might have heard of, Majak Daw.
With Jack Martin and Jesse Hogan already getting people excited about what they’re going to bring to the competition next year, it seems the future of the AFL is in the best of hands.
The regeneration of talent is what keeps any sport thriving, and the 2013 crew looks a special one. If they can provide half the thrills that the 1993 group did, we’re going to be very lucky indeed.