The 2025 season is nearly underway, and a suite of youngsters are set to make their case for the AFL Rising Star award after what is regarded as one of the deepest draft pools in AFL history.
Meanwhile, a few overage talents are predicted to blossom in their second seasons at AFL level, making this year's Rising Star contest as competitive as ever.
Quickly, a refresher on the criteria to be eligible for the award.
- Players must be under the age of 21 as of January 1, 2025.
- Players can only have played 10 AFL games or less in previous seasons.
- Players must not be suspended at AFL or state-league level during the season.
Last year, second-year Cat Ollie Dempsey took home the award, albeit thanks to in-season suspensions to Harley Reid and Sam Darcy, who were tipped to claim the award over the Geelong forward.
But in a stacked crop of talent, this year's race is anyone's for the taking. Here is Zero Hanger's verdict on the top contenders for this year's Rising Star award.
10. Nate Caddy
If Kako has a chance to win the Rising Star, it could be stolen from him by his teammate Caddy. The over-age forward is still eligible for the award after playing just 10 games in his debut year.
Caddy looks to have improved significantly in the pre-season after a strong finish to his 2024 campaign, and has demonstrated such reports in the pre-season scratch matches.
Caddy kicked three goals against Geelong on Tuesday and was an aerial threat, perfectly leaning into his strengths.
With a full pre-season behind him and already boasting experience at the top flight, Caddy is ready to blossom in 2025, and potentially snag the Rising Star award.
