EVERY week draft guru Callum Twomey will rank the five best NAB AFL Rising Star nominees in each round from 1993, the first year of the award, to 2019. This week we name the five best round 11 nominees from history.
THERE are sometimes anomalies which pop up in the NAB AFL Rising Star award.
We can safely say that Melbourne's Jordan Gysberts being the round 11 nomination in consecutive years in 2010-11 is one of those.
But despite the midfielder's early promise, Gysberts' career ended on just 19 games, of which two were Rising Star honours.
Gysberts, therefore, doesn't feature in this week's top-five Rising Star nominees from round 11 through the award's history.
During the COVID-19 shutdown period, we have been reflecting and ranking each round's best nominees, judging the players based on the totality of their careers, and not just in the performances in the game or season they were nominated.
Among the unlucky omissions were former Essendon pair Dean Solomon and Mark McVeigh and current Bomber Zach Merrett, while two-time North Melbourne premiership big man Matthew Capuano also didn't feature.
Port Adelaide's Brett Ebert, Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer and Western Bulldogs defender Ryan Hargrave were others who weren't far off the top-five, while recent nominees Oliver Florent (Sydney) and Sydney Stack (Richmond) are on the rise in their careers.
TOP FIVE ROUND 11 NAB AFL RISING STAR NOMINEES
No.5: Daniel Wells (North Melbourne)
Nominated: 2003 (Fourth place overall)
The Roos' No.2 draft pick slotted into the Roos' side seamlessly, providing polish to their line-up through his career. Wells' smooth skills, speed and class around goal made him a key player throughout his 243-game career with the club, before he headed to Collingwood, where injuries limited him to 15 appearances.
No.4: Adem Yze (Melbourne)
Nominated: 1996 (Only winner was announced; did not win)
The supremely skilled Yze won his Rising Star honour after a brilliant breakout performance when he booted ffive goals from 19 disposals in round 11, 1996 against Fitzroy. Yze's pinpoint foot skills, pace and ability to cut the lines made him a damaging player across his 271 game career with the Demons, which ended at the end of 2008. He won the Dees' best and fairest in 2001 and a Virgin Australia All-Australian guernsey in 2002.
No.3: Shannon Hurn (West Coast)
Nominated: 2007 (Fifth place overall)
The maturely built Hurn joined the Eagles as a first-round pick and by his second season had become a senior regular. With a booming long kick, an ability to play on a range of opponents and a reliability in the back half, Hurn grew into one of the AFL's most consistent half-backs in the AFL. The veteran skippered West Coast to its epic Grand Final win over Collingwood in 2018 and has played 270 games for the club.
No.2: Tom Mitchell (Sydney)
Nominated: 2013 (Fourth place overall)
Starting his career with the Swans after joining the club as a father-son selection, Mitchell didn't break through for a debut in the club's flag year in 2012. He quickly showed his ball-winning ability the following year, however, gathering 31 disposals and a goal in round 11, 2013, to claim his Rising Star nomination. Mitchell crossed to Hawthorn at the end of 2016 and his career has flourished, with the midfielder winning the Brownlow Medal for his incredibly prolific 2018 season. One of the game's best ball-getters.
No.1: Jordan Lewis (Hawthorn)
Nominated: 2005 (Did not place)
Lewis quickly became a mainstay in Hawthorn's midfield after joining the club with pick No.7 at the NAB AFL Draft. He played 19 games in his debut season, including gathering 23 disposals in his Rising Star game, and went on to forge one of the greatest careers in Hawthorn history. The tough, ruthless left-footer played in four premierships with the club, ending his career with 319 games after three seasons at Melbourne.
