The 21-year-old won 28 possessions against Hawthorn at Telstra Dome on Saturday night despite being on the ground for only 70 per cent of the match.
He was moved into the middle in the second term and had 14 touches in the third as the Bulldogs got themselves back in the game.
Cross was drafted to the Western Bulldogs with the 56th selection at the 2000 National's AFL Draft and was a NSW/ACT under 18 representative in that year. He hails from Albury and made his debut for the Bulldogs in round 10 2002.
He has 11 games in 2004 for a career total of 21 games.
The youngster was delighted to have secured the round-19 nomination.
"It was a surprise yesterday morning. It's something that I've worked pretty hard since I got here in 2000," Cross said before training at Whitten Oval on Tuesday.
"Over the last two months the coaching staff have given me a real opportunity and I've just tried to take it with both hands and go full steam ahead."
Cross said he was one of a group of younger players who are only now starting to show their true potential.
"I think we're all very much a developing group. A lot of us started when we were 17 and coming through together we were all pretty skinny and we're just starting to mature and work our way into the senior ranks."
It is the club's first Rising Star nomination in two years.
