Ashley Sampi of the West Coast Eagles is the round eight National AFL Rising Star nominee.

Drafted at the 2001 National AFL Draft as the number six selection, following teammate Chris Judd who was taken at number three, Sampi played four matches for the Eagles in 2002, one of which was the losing elimination final against Essendon.

Originally from Armadale, Western Australia, Sampi played with South Fremantle, where he was the youngest player since Stan Magro to play with the side, at age 16. In 2001 Sampi played in the losing South Fremantle grand final team, which was coached by Peter Sumich, now an assistant coach with the Eagles.

Sampi has made his way to the AFL via the National AFL Player Pathway Program. He represented Western Australia in both the National AFL U16's and 18's Championships while also a member of the U17 AFL/AIS Academy squad, during which he captained Australia in the first test against Ireland and played out the series with Judd.

In 2003, Sampi has played every senior match for the Eagles since round two, a highlight including the round four derby against Fremantle where he kicked four goals for the day.

In the round eight match against Collingwood, Sampi stepped up again for the Eagles and kicked two goals assisting his side with their 16-point win over the Pies at Telstra Dome.