Dylan Buckley from the Carlton Football Club is the Round Two NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
Playing off the half-backline, Dylan showed plenty of dash finishing with 18 possessions and six tackles in the Blues’ narrow loss to Richmond last Thursday night at the MCG.
Dylan’s match was highlighted by his clean use of the ball. His opponents included Shane Edwards, Jake King and Ricky Petterd.
It was the 21-year-old’s year first AFL match on the MCG as a senior player and only his second AFL match. He debuted for the Blues in Round 3 2013 against Geelong.
Dylan Buckley is available for interview tomorrow:
Tuesday April 1 at 1pm
Don Chipp Lecture Theatre
Visy Park
Carlton coach Mick Malthouse said he was delighted with Dylan’s transition to a defensive player.
"To have a young player like that who has transformed himself from a forward to a back is just fantastic," Malthouse said.
"I went to him last year and said that we would consider the move, so he needed to start to get his head around a different type of training – and he has risen to the challenge.
"He's a kid who gets down here early, loves the football club and loves training. What we all like about Dylan is it doesn't matter who the opposition is or how big they are, he will always have a crack."
Dylan was a father-son selection, selection 62 overall in the 2011 NAB AFL Draft. His father, Jim, played 164 games for Carlton between 1976-1990. Jim was a member of the 1979, 1981 and 1982 premiership teams and won the 1982 best and fairest.
Dylan represented Vic Metro in the 2010 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and is a graduate of the AFL National Academies. He played junior football with the Fitzroy Junior Football Club and the Northern Knights.
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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