FREMANTLE’S first win of the season has coincided with the club claiming its first NAB AFL Rising Star nomination since 2005, with Rhys Palmer earning the round three honours for his performance against West Coast.

Palmer, who was selected by the club with selection No.7 overall in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft, played his second AFL game on the weekend after making his debut in round two against Hawthorn.

The 19-year-old showed immense courage on Saturday to recover from a first term head wound to record 24 touches in the Dockers' 14-point win.

Palmer described the injury, which required 20 staples and a cumbersome bandage, as fairly confronting, with Eagle Brent Staker clipping the left side of his forehead after he fumbled the ball.

“It was a bit of a shock, and then before I'd even hit the ground, there was blood everywhere,” he said.

“Luckily enough, I was able to play again after that. I just got a couple of staples and was right to go.”

The young midfielder admitted to suffering from blurred vision towards the end of the first quarter, which wore off as the game progressed. He also said being ushered into the rooms and having his head hastily stapled back together was a rather traumatic process.

“It was alright for the first couple of staples because the wound was still a bit numb, but then I started to get the feeling back in it and then the next few really hurt,” he laughed.

“The staples are alright. We had a look at it after the game and I had the choice of having the staples out and getting stitched up.

“The doctors said the staples were good and that I should heal fine, so I kept them.”

As a previous Eagles supporter, Palmer knows all too well about the enormity of a Derby, and said his first on-field involvement in an all-WA clash was “a great feeling”.

He said it hasn't been difficult switching allegiances since the Dockers recruited him.

“Towards the end of last year, when I just had the dreams of getting picked up and I wasn't sure of where I was going to go, I wasn't as much of an Eagles fan anymore,” he said.
“But it was great to go to Freo; I couldn't have been happier in the end.

“I didn't mind where I went. I would have been just as happy if I'd gone to Melbourne to play over there, but obviously it has been great being over here with my family and my friends.”

The last Fremantle player to be honoured with a nomination was David Mundy in round 14, 2005.

Palmer joins Essendon's Bachar Houli (round one) and the Western Bulldogs' Josh Hill (round two) as players in contention for this year's grand prize.

Watch Palmer's round three highlights against West Coast.