Luke Dunstan from the St Kilda Football Club is the Round One NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
The 19-year-old midfielder was playing in his first AFL match, and was one of the Saints’ best in the 17-point win over Melbourne at Etihad Stadium on Saturday night.
Luke started in the centre and finished the match with 21 disposals, seven marks, seven tackles and nine clearances.
Luke joins a select group who have been nominated on debut. Players include: Chris Judd, Daniel Rich, Luke Power, Aaron Davey, Marc Murphy and Dyson Heppell.
Luke Dunstan is available for interview tomorrow:
Tuesday March 25 at 9.20am
Linen House Oval, Seaford
St Kilda coach Alan Richardson said Luke had impressed the selectors during the NAB Challenge matches and he took his good form into Round One.
“Luke Dunstan is going to be a really good player for a long time at this football club. To play such an important role in our midfield in his first AFL game is testament to his ability,” he said.
Luke was St Kilda’s second selection in the 2013 NAB AFL Draft (selction18 overall) as part of the Savage/McEvoy trade.
He captained the winning South Australian team in the 2013 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and was joint winner of South Australia’s Most Valuable Player. He was also named an Under-18 All Australian.
Luke also played senior football in the SANFL last year for Woodville-West Torrens.
Luke is a graduate of the AFL National Academies and played junior football with the South Clare Football Club in the North-Eastern Football League.
Following each round of the home and away season, a panel of judges will select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2014 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal and a $20,000 personal investment folio and a dedicated personal banker, courtesy of NAB.
NAB continues to grow the game by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Each of the 23 clubs will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2,500, comprising financial and practical resources. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $660,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL.
NAB has been Footifying Australia since 2002 through the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program which comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
- AFL National Academies
- NAB AFL Under-16 Championships
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