The Rising Star Award is a tight race this year, with West Coast's Willem Duursma and Carlton's Jagga Smith and Harry Dean leading a strong crop of nominees.
The three players featured in the same game for the first time on Saturday when Carlton hosted West Coast at Marvel Stadium.
Although Duursma (12 disposals, one goal) showed signs, and Smith (23 disposals, nine clearances, one goal) was busy, it was Dean who stamped his claim as the best of the three.
In just his first season, Dean is playing well beyond his years and has done so without veteran and star key defender Jacob Weitering by his side, who has missed the past four games with a calf injury.
Dean clamped Eagles spearhead Jake Waterman to perfection. Waterman kicked 0.3 from his 13 disposals, with two of his shots coming in the dying stages of the match, which the Blues won by 53 points.
The 18-year-old's competitiveness can not be denied, noticed to have an annoyed expression at conceding a mark to Waterman late in the match when the game was already done.
Dean himself had 13 disposals (at 100 per cent efficiency) while collecting nine marks, 11 kicks, five intercepts and four tackles. The young gun is already a general in the Navy Blue defence.
Speaking after the match on the Fox Footy broadcast, Carlton captain Patrick Cripps was full of praise for the 2025 number three draft pick.
"(The defence was thanks to) a young 'fella' called Harry Dean, who is something pretty special, I think," Cripps said.
"He is a star. It is like he has played for 10 years."
In his maiden season at AFL level, Dean has already claimed the scalps of Port Adelaide's Mitch Georgiades, Geelong's Ollie Henry, Essendon's Nate Caddy, GWS' Aaron Cadman and now Waterman.
Combined, that mix of five forwards only managed to kick three goals in total while playing on Dean.
Like most awards, the Rising Star Award is typically a midfielder's - or future midfielder's - medal. Usually, it is fair as players in key positions take time to develop.
The 193cm Dean is a man already, whose defensive nous and understanding of the game match his impressive physical attributes.
The 2026 Rising Star Award should already have the words "Harry Dean" inscribed on it.
