The great-nephew of rugby league legend Brian Bevan (who played for Eastern Suburbs and British club Warrington), Paul played his junior football in metropolitan Sydney for the Western Suburbs Football Club and was recruited from the NSW/ACT RAMS. Paul was added to Sydney’s rookie list in 2003 and played an entire season for the Swans reserves in the Canberra League.
Paul joins round one nominee Aaron Davey as a nominated rookie eligible to win the National’s AFL Rising Star. Both players are able to stay on senior lists regardless of injuries or delistings, as Melbourne and Sydney have senior lists of 38 players with no veterans.
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The National’s AFL Rising Star is the pinnacle of the National’s AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports young players from the grassroots to the elite level.
The National’s AFL Rising Stars Program provides recognition and a clearly identifiable direction for a player's career, and comprises the following elements:
· The National’s AFL Rising Star
· The National’s AFL Draft
· The National’s AFL Draft Camp
· The National’s AFL Under 18 Championships
· AIS-AFL Academy
· The National’s AFL Under 16 Championships
The National Australia Bank is the principal partner of the National’s AFL Rising Stars Program and has introduced a number of important initiatives to support this partnership – the National’s Rising Star Club Recognition Awards which recognise the contribution that local football clubs make to the development of young players, the National AFL Draftee Development Awards which recognise individual volunteers who have helped young players progress to the elite AFL level and the National Staff Volunteer Program, which encourages National employees to volunteer their time and expertise to assist local football clubs.
