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.
3. Finn O'Sullivan
The No. 2 pick in last year's draft, who arguably could've gone at Pick 1, presents as a strong candidate for the Rising Star.
Alastair Clarkson has regularly eased his top draftees across halfback, and given the abundance of talent already fighting for a role in the team, it would be no shock to see O'Sullivan play across that position in 2025.
It would provide O'Sullivan the ability to rack up easy touches and firm a strong case on paper for the Rising Star.
With O'Sullivan's all-round skills though, he will no doubt experience some midfield minutes in 2025, and could make an immediate impact. Cracking into a stacked midfield would certainly place O'Sullivan in the upper echelon of Rising Star contenders.
