THEY were teammates at the Northern Knights, they both represented Vic Metro, and they were recruited with the first two selections in the 2007 NAB AFL Draft.

It is fair to say the careers of Carlton's Matthew Kreuzer and Richmond's Trent Cotchin have been as intertwined as those of emerging players can be.

Last weekend, the bond between the two young up-and-comers was again realised when both were tipped to claim the round 11 nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star.

Kreuzer, 19, kicked three crucial final-quarter goals in the Blues' inspirational win over Port Adelaide and took five marks in his ninth senior game. Cotchin, 18, had 25 touches in the Tigers' loss to the Crows in just his fourth match.

Tuesday then came around and the nomination went the way of the Blue, who was quick to admit he thought his mate was set to find himself in the running for the overall prize after his showing against Adelaide.

"I thought he might have got it this week," Kreuzer told afl.com.au.

"We still catch up a fair bit and talk and we're still pretty close mates.

"I think he's been going really well, coming back from his injury."

Kreuzer agreed the past seven months have "been a bit of a blur", but said his new club has done everything possible to make sure he feels at home – even if he occasionally still gets star-struck from time to time.

"It's been really good down at Carlton. All the coaching staff and fitness people have been really good, and all the boys have been really helpful in giving me a lot of pointers," he said.

"Bryce Gibbs and Marc Murphy have helped me out a lot because they've been through what I've gone through, so they've given me little pointers of how they coped with it.

"I still have to pinch myself a bit, just walking around the changerooms and seeing 'Juddy' and 'Fev'.

"It's really good because they're both really good blokes and they've helped me out heaps.

"They're always passing on experience of what they have gone through."

The young ruckman said he still gets nervous ahead of games, but is learning how to cope with those pre-game butterflies, as well as the constant pressure of playing in front of Carlton's large supporter base.

He is also learning how best to manage a pair of physical problems, including his need to wear contact lenses during games, and the possibly degenerative hip complaint that was discovered during medical screening at the NAB AFL Draft Camp last year.

The sight issue is easily fixed – Kreuzer wears the contacts, only for playing, and can see much better on field as long as they remain inserted.

"I lost one of them [against Port Adelaide] but then I got another and put it back in, and it was all good," he said.

"It's happened to me two or three times, when they've fallen out. But it's not too bad.

"Normally my sight is pretty good but I wear them for footy because it makes it a bit easier."

And as for the hip complaint, known as 'femoroacetabular impingement', which is a bony bump growing on his hip that can lead to arthritis, Kreuzer doesn't even know it's there.

"I've apparently got a problem with it but I wouldn't know about it; it doesn't even affect me," he said.

"I don't even feel it so I'm not too sure what is wrong with it. They told me at draft camp I had it and that was it.