Nick Daicos during the 2022 AFL Round 1 match between St Kilda and Collingwood (Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media)

Saturday's outing against Adelaide has sewn up Nick Daicos' title as the Rising Star, with his dominant display now placing him in a light alongside the best first-year players of all time.

In a field that includes Jai Newcombe, Sam De Koning, Jake Bowey, Jack Ginnivan and a plethora of other neophytes, Daicos is now, with good reason, head and shoulders above the pack.

But the honour as the 2022 Rising Star is unlikely to be the highest feat the prized young Pie may earn this year, with an All-Australian blazer certainly in his reach.

You could even throw in a potential Copeland Trophy at Collingwood, with no clear front-runner emerging in Craig McRae's maiden year at Olympic Park.

But from a competition-wide view, an All-Australian selection, or at least a squad nod, is perhaps now deserving for the talented teenager.

The past fortnight has seen Daicos look as comfortable in the engine room as he did with the freedom to roam at half-back, with Saturday's mesmerising production against Adelaide his magnum opus.

The swift ball-winner collected 40 disposals at a rate of 82.5 per cent in dreich conditions, while also amassing 10 intercepts, 747 metres gained and 3 goals in a hybrid role between defence and midfield.

His last quarter alone was inspirational, recording 11 and booting 2 of his three majors after using his elite aerobic ability to even outshine and outrun veteran names at the Crows in a game that was on the line until the final bell.

And this was no anomaly. Daicos' season averages read as though he were in his seventh season in the league, and rightfully place him in discussions for an All-Australian selection.

A spot at half-back, or even on the interchange, won't come easy however, with a bottle-neck queue set to take shape in the final rounds of the season.

Blues duo Adam Saad and Sam Docherty have both made their case, Saint Jack Sinclair right be the first defender picked, and Crow Jordan Dawson could be seen as a defensive selection under the eyes of the All-Australian selectors.

So how does Daicos compare?

He perhaps can't match the numbers and defensive threat of a Docherty, nor the intangible impact that comes with Saad's movement out of defence.

Sinclair's consistency might just better the young Magpie, while Dawson's recent run of form will certainly rival that of the teenager.

But one aspect of his cause that Daicos can certainly claim is his role within a side that currently sits on level points with third on the ladder.

Only percentage separates the Lions, Dockers and Magpies after 18 rounds, with Saturday's win at Adelaide Oval seeing Collingwood claim their 12th win of the year and eighth in succession.

The aforementioned Blues duo may find themselves on the podium for their own best and fairest count, but Daicos may now be leading his own club's top honour while pushing for a potential second-chance final.

With the Carlton and Collingwood to go head-to-head in the final round of the season, an All-Australian blazer may be decided across those four quarters of football.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 17: Sam Docherty of the Blues kicks the ball during the round one AFL match between the Richmond Tigers and the Carlton Blues at Melbourne Cricket Ground on March 17, 2022 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Should Daicos come out on top, he would join the likes of dual premiership Crows dup Nigel Smart and Ben hart, and Blues champion Andrew McKay as first-year All-Australians.

Collingwood's run home consists of clashes with the Bombers, Power, Demons and Swans before their finale against the Blues, with earlier encounters from this season seeing Daicos average 24 possessions per game across wins over Essendon, Melbourne and Carlton.