Since its premiership year of 2010, Collingwood has had only three players nominated for the competition’s most prestigious award for its youngest players.
The team’s success can make it difficult for younger players to maintain a strong foothold in the senior side, and it also limits a club’s capacity to select the most fancied players on draft day as a result of finishing near the top of the ladder.
Of the 38 players the Magpies have used in 2013, six are eligible to receive a Rising Star nomination this year.
The AFL stipulates that Rising Star nominees must be under the age of 21 at January 1 of that year, must not have played more than 10 games to the start of that season and must not have been suspended by the AFL or state league tribunals during the season.
Collingwood’s Eligible Rising Star Candidates
15. Jarrod Witts
Born: 13 September 1992
Debut: Round Six 2013 v St Kilda
Games: 5
Goals: 4
Averages: 7.80 disposals, 4.20 marks, 0.80 tackles, 0.80 goals, 8.00 hitouts
Best Performance So Far: 2 goals, 2 behinds, 6 marks, 9 disposals, 16 hitouts, 4 tackles against Carlton in round 15.
Upside: There’s plenty to like about Witts’ most recent performances at senior level. His first three games saw him receive an early taste of the action before being substituted out of the match for smaller, fresher legs. He has shown glimpses of his potential in the past fortnight with goals against Carlton and Adelaide and played more than 80 per cent in both games. Has begun to form a strong partnership with Ben Hudson which sees him spend the majority of the match at full forward and take spells in the ruck later in the quarters.
27. Ben Kennedy
Born: 3 March 1994
Debut: Round Six 2013 v St Kilda
Games: 9
Goals: 8
Averages: 11.00 disposals, 1.56 marks, 1.78 tackles, 0.89 goals
Best Performance So Far: 3 goals, 2 behinds, 3 marks, 17 disposals, 10 contested possessions, 3 tackles against Melbourne in round 11.
Upside: Still only a teenager but shows no fear with his attack on the contest. Has been used in spurts in the midfield but is playing predominantly in attack where he has helped increased the Magpies’ forward pressure and creativity around goals. Has been involved as the substitute on five occasions but has managed to get busy quickly when on the field. An extended run in the midfield could see him throw his name up in the eyes of the Rising Star selectors.
43. Adam Oxley
Born: 1 November 1992
Debut: Round 11 2013 v Melbourne
Games: 2
Goals: 0
Averages: 5.00 disposals, 1.50 marks, 0.50 tackles, 0.00 goals
Best Performance So Far: 6 disposals, 1 mark, 3 contested possessions, 1 tackle against Melbourne in round 11.
Upside: Has been afforded limited opportunities so far as he began both his senior games as the substitute. Raised eyebrows with his classy disposal and composure in the second half against Melbourne and his standout performances in the VFL indicate that he might be the sort of player capable of producing a breakout game worthy of a Rising Star nomination should he receive another opportunity.
45. Jack Frost
Born: 25 February 1992
Debut: Round One 2013 v North Melbourne
Games: 2
Goals: 0
Averages: 8.00 disposals, 1.50 marks, 4.50 tackles, 0.00 goals
Best Performance So Far: 12 disposals, 2 marks, 9 contested possessions, 3 tackles against North Melbourne in round one.
Upside: Put in an eye-catching pre-season and was rewarded with promotion onto the senior list on the eve of round one. Made his debut in the first game of the season against North Melbourne and was stiff to be omitted off the back of his 12 possessions, two marks and five one-percenters. Returned to take on Hawthorn a fortnight later and found himself opposed to Lance Franklin for a period of time when Ben Reid left the field and was substituted out of the match later in the day. Injury struck late in the final quarter of a VFL encounter with Williamstown and sentenced him to an extensive layoff. Is still recovering from his PCL injury but has shown that he is up to the level should he receive another opportunity later this season.
46. Marley Williams
Born: 22 July 1992
Debut: Round Nine 2012 v Adelaide
Games: 14
Goals: 2
Averages: 15.13 disposals, 3.75 marks, 3.13 tackles, 0.13 goals
Best Performance So Far: 19 disposals, 5 marks, 6 contested possessions, 7 tackles against Port Adelaide in round 14.
Upside: Another one of National Recruiting Manager Derek Hine’s rookie list specials. Williams, who played six senior games last year, broke into the senior side in round eight and has not missed a game since. His hardness and ability to shut down his direct opponent, not to mention his effective left foot, has made him an able replacement for the now retired Ben Johnson. He has looked increasingly comfortable with his now permanent role in the back pocket and is starting to return possession counts of 15 and higher – something he did only once last year. His uncompromising attack on the ball against Carlton was singled out by coach Nathan Buckley in his weekly email to the club’s members. Kicked his first goal of the season against the Crows last week and is one player who should certainly be on the Rising Star selectors’ radars.
48. Caolan Mooney
Born: 25 January 1993
Debut: Round 14 2012 v Fremantle
Games: 5
Goals: 2
Averages (2013): 5.00 disposals, 2.00 marks, 3.00 tackles, 1.00 goals
Best Performance So Far: 8 disposals, 2 marks, 4 contested possessions, 3 tackles against Fremantle in round seven.
Upside: Earned only one senior game so far this season but has promised plenty in the VFL over the past year and a half. Made an impact when thrown into the action midway through the game against Fremantle, kicking the goal that put Collingwood in front early in the last quarter and generally adding speed and unpredictability to a side that was caught out by the Dockers’ disciplined style of play. Fans are yet to see the best of Mooney as he has been involved as a substitute in all five of his senior games. He is currently back on the rookie list after untried draftee Jackson Ramsay recovered from a long-term wrist injury.
Ineligible for Nomination
Unfortunately, Jamie Elliott, Josh Thomas, Kyle Martin, Paul Seedsman and Sam Dwyer are all ineligible for nomination.
Elliott (15 games) and Seedsman (11 games) played too many games prior to 2013 to be considered for nomination despite fitting the age criteria at the start of the year.
Thomas (21-years-old last October), Martin (21 last September) and Dwyer (26 last August) are all too old for consideration.
It’s a shame, as all five have played games that were worthy of nomination at different stages this season.
Interestingly, six of the aforementioned players began on the club’s rookie list, one was recruited via the NSW Scholarship Program, another as a Greater Western Sydney pre-listed player who was a top-age player at the Murray Bushrangers and two others were drafted with selections No. 75 and No. 76. Only Ben Kennedy (pick No. 19) could be considered a conventional top draft selection.
Collingwood’s Rising Star Nominees (1993-2012)
1993 – Sav Rocca (round 13)
1994 – Kent Butcher (round eight), Jon Hassall (round 22)
1995 – Nil
1996 – Andrew Schauble (round seven)
1997 – Mal Michael (round 17)
1998 – Nil
1999 – Nick Davis (round five), Paul Licuria (round 18)
2000 – Damien Adkins (round three), Josh Fraser (round six)
2001 – Ryan Lonie (round four)
2002 – Jason Cloke (round six), Mark McGough (round 10), Alan Didak (round 16)
2003 – Richard Cole (round 17), Matthew Lokan (round 22)
2004 – Guy Richards (round nine)
2005 – Travis Cloke (round 10)
2006 – Dale Thomas (round two), Heath Shaw (round five)
2007 – Scott Pendlebury (round four), Marty Clarke (round 13), Tyson Goldsack (round 21)
2008 – Nathan Brown (round 10)
2009 – Jaxson Barham (round four), Brad Dick (round 11), Dayne Beams (round 17)
2010 – Ben Reid (round 12)
2011 – Alex Fasolo (round 22)
2012 – Ben Sinclair (round 11)
