AFL SYDNEY 2019 RISING STAR
Harry Maguire from Pennant Hills Demons has been awarded the 2018 AFL Sydney Rising Star award.
Harry made his Premier Division debut in Round 14 of 2018 and played out the rest of the season there. However he had his biggest impact in the Reserves side where he kicked the Grand Final winning goal which launched him into super stardom at the Pennant Hills club.
He continued this form in 2019 as he played his first full season in the Premier Division side. The versatile and mobile big man plays forward or back and is one of the best overhead marks at the Club. Harry has sure hands, takes an excellent grab, has a classic kicking style and is an accurate kick on goal. His skills are already well developed enabling him to be an effective key position player at either end of the ground. He is an instinctive player and has an impressive ability to shut down opposition forwards by intercept marking and rebounding from defence.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Harry Maguire | Pennant Hills | 27 |
| Thomas Drum | UTS AFC | 26 |
| Charlie Burgess-Hoar | UNSW/ES | 25 |
| Mitchell Blow | Pennant Hills | 21 |
| Max Geddes | UNSW/ES | 16 |
| Joshua Large | East Coast Eagles | 12 |
| Jarrod Coomby | Camden | 8 |
| Marc Sheather | Pennant Hills | 7 |
| Ned Stewart | Sydney Uni | 5 |
| Jacob Bauer | Inner West | 3 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Marco Rossmann | UNSW/ES | |
| Wesley Greenaway | Sydney Uni | |
| Braedon Campbell | Pennant Hills | |
| Cameron Edwards | East Coast Eagles | |
| Jack Field | Manly Warringah | |
| Jackson Barling | North Shore | |
| Marco Rossman | UNSW/ES | |
| Riley Irvin | St George |
Photo: Harry Maguire (left) accepting his award from AFL NSW/ACT Head of Talent and Coaching Darren Denneman.
AFL SYDNEY 2018 RISING STAR
Sam Gilfedder from Sydney University has been awarded the 2018 AFL Sydney Rising Star award.
The Half-forward known for his defensive pressure up front has been named the AFL Sydney Rising star in just his second season of AFL Football. The Rugby convert hasn’t taken long to work through the issues of playing this complicated game and his dedication to improving his skill level really paid dividends in 2018. From playing Division Five footy at the beginning of 2017 to becoming a huge influence on the Premier Division side in 2018 really highlights how fast Sam’s star is on the rise.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Sam Gilfedder | Sydney Uni | 22 |
| Max Thomas | North Shore | 19 |
| Michael Carroll | Pennant Hills | 16 |
| Hamish Ellem | Manly Warringah | 15 |
| Bailey O’Brien | Pennant Hills | 14 |
| Aydin Bremner | Western Suburbs | 11 |
| Matt Edwards | Camden | 10 |
| Johnny Pawle | UNSW/ES | 9 |
| Christian Loone | North Shore | 8 |
| Michael Nettheim | Sydney Uni | 7 |
| Riley Lucas | Sydney Uni | 4 |
| Liam Bognar | St George | 4 |
| Josh Rayner | North Shore | 4 |
| Matthew Buskariol | North Shore | 3 |
| Max Ries | UNSW/ES | 3 |
| Cooper Kilpatrick | UNSW/ES | 1 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Edward Cole* | Western Suburbs | |
| Jordan Adams | Pennant Hills |
Photo: Sydney University President, Sam Power (left), accepting the award on Sam Gilfedder’s behalf from GWS Giants AFLW Player and former AFL Sydney Women’s Rising Star Award Winner Nicola Barr.
AFL SYDNEY 2017 RISING STAR
Jack Buckley from the UNSW ES Bulldogs has been awarded the 2017 XBlades AFL Sydney Rising Star.
Playing his first season in the key centre half forward post for the UNSW ES Bulldogs, the 19-year-old Buckley has continued to show the form that won him last year’s AFL Sydney Under 19 Division One Best and Fairest. Jack had and impressive season showcasing his great hands and an accurate kick for goal as his performances helped the Bulldogs to second place on the XBlades AFL Sydney Premier Division ladder.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Jack Buckley | UNSW/ES | 19 |
| William Stratford | Sydney Uni | 18 |
| Max Lower | UNSW/ES | 17 |
| Charles Ford | Western Suburbs | 17 |
| Brandon Clark | East Coast | 15 |
| Jake Bartholomaeus | UNSW/ES | 14 |
| Luke Skrivanic | Pennant Hills | 13 |
| Mitchell Rogers | Manly Warringah | 13 |
| James Cubis | North Shore | 12 |
| Harry Palmer | UNSW/ES | 7 |
| James Carroll | Pennant Hills | 6 |
| Harry Morrison | Sydney Uni | 6 |
| Dominic Michalak | St George | 3 |
| Nick Bertino | Sydney Uni | 2 |
| Jonathan Marsh | North Shore | 1 |
| Darcy Cordell | UNSW/ES | 0 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Kieran Briggs | Pennant Hills | |
| Jarrod Osborne | Manly Warringah |
Photo: Jack Buckley (left) accepting his award from AFL NSW/ACT Head of Talent and Coaching Darren Denneman.
AFL SYDNEY 2016 RISING STAR
Big Western Suburbs forward, Ben Zoppo has been awarded the 2016 AFL Sydney Rising Star.
Ben has risen from the successful Under 19 team that won back to back titles in 2014 and 2015 to push for a spot in Wests Premier Division team. Ben had a fabulous season in 2016 and finished third in the leading goal kickers (38 goals) in Premier Division despite being heavily marked all season. He also managed to score bags of 5 goals on three occasions in the 2016 season.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Ben Zoppo | Western Suburbs | 32 |
| Tim Coenen | St George | 21 |
| James Loneragan | North Shore | 17 |
| Jai Lyons | UTS | 16 |
| Tom Chichester | UNSW/ES | 10 |
| Jared Deep | UNSW/ES | 8 |
| Dean Meadows | Manly Warringah | 8 |
| Jack Patten | Pennant Hills | 5 |
| Lachlan Behagg | Manly Warringah | 5 |
| Jake Bartholomaeus | UNSW/ES | 4 |
| Bailey Stewart | East Coast Eagles | 3 |
| Josh Boag | Pennant Hills | 3 |
| Sam Wicks | Manly Warringah | 3 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Nick Shipley | St George | |
| James Cubis | North Shore | |
| Callum McEvoy-Gray | Western Suburbs | |
| Will Gowers | Sydney Uni | |
| Zack Smith | Pennant Hills |
Photo: Ben Zoppo (left) accepting his award from GWS Giants Academy Coach Jason Saddington
AFL SYDNEY 2015 RISING STAR
St George running defender, Eli Prescott has been awarded the 2015 AFL Sydney Rising Star.
The 17 year old Prescott had a fantastic year which included representing the Sydney Swans reserve grade team on 6 occasions kicking three goals and also playing one game for the NSW/ACT side in the TAC Cup
Prescott polled 18 votes, three clear of Ryan Speed from Western Suburbs. Pennant Hills onballer Connor Owen Auburn rounded out the top three on 12 votes.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Eli Prescott | St George | 18 |
| Ryan Speed | Western Suburbs | 15 |
| Connor Owen-Auburn | Pennant Hills | 12 |
| Campbell Luscombe | Pennant Hills | 10 |
| Jack Hill | St George | 10 |
| Tom Harvey | North Shore | 9 |
| Ben Hawtin | Sydney University | 8 |
| Nathan Cooper | Pennant Hills | 8 |
| Alex McKenzie | UNSW/ES | 8 |
| Kirk Lower | UNSW/ES | 7 |
| Brayden Kilpatrick | St George | 7 |
| Jake Brown | St George | 5 |
| Dylan Sanderson | St George | 4 |
| Allister Clarke | Sydney University | 3 |
| Bradley Keough | Pennant Hills | 3 |
| Ben van den Nieuwenhof | Western Suburbs | 3 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Jack Mapleson | North Shore | |
Photo: Eli Prescott (Right) accepting his award from GWS Giants Academy Coach Jason Saddington
AFL SYDNEY 2014 RISING STAR
Sydney University midfielder, Harry Dobson has been awarded the 2014 AFL Sydney Rising Star.
The 18 year old Dobson had a fantastic year which included representing the Sydney Swans reserve grade team on 2 occasions kicking one goal and also being apart of the winning Under 18 NSW/ACT Rams side.
Dobson polled 30 votes, eleven clear of Nicholas Shaw from St George. Spencer Krochmal from UNSW/ES finished third on 18 votes.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Harry Dobson | Sydney University | 30 |
| Nicholas Shaw | St George | 19 |
| Spencer Krochmal | UNSW/ES | 18 |
| Nathan Lomas | Campbelltown | 15 |
| Theo Moraitis | Pennant Hills | 14 |
| Jack Parker | Manly Warringah | 14 |
| Joshua Smith | Sydney University | 11 |
| Aiden Bell | Campbelltown | 10 |
| Nick Foster | North Shore | 9 |
| Lachlan Maples | Sydney University | 6 |
| James McKenzie | North Shore | 2 |
| Tom Dickson | UNSW/ES | 1 |
| Jordan McPherson | Sydney Hills Eagles | 1 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Lyndon Hupfeld | Sydney Hills Eagles | |
| Taylor Preece | UNSW/ES | |
| Abe Davis | UNSW/ES | |
| Callum Mills | North Shore | |
| Brad Watson | Pennant Hills |
Photo: Sydney University Football Operations Manager, Tristan Liles (left), accepting the award on Harry Dobson’s behalf from former Brisbane and GWS player Luke Power
AFL SYDNEY 2013 RISING STAR
Western Suburbs utility, Levi Sands has been awarded the 2013 AFL Sydney Rising Star.
The 20 year old Sands had an outstanding year which included representing the Sydney Swans reserve grade team on 5 occasions kicking two goals.
Sands polled 32 votes, five clear of Thomas Thurgarland from Manly Warringah. Alex Foote from UNSW/ES finished third on 25 votes.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Levi Sands | Western Suburbs | 32 |
| Thomas Thurgarland | Manly Warringah | 27 |
| Alex Foote | UNSW/ES | 25 |
| Hayden Washington | Manly Warringah | 22 |
| Callum Johnston | Manly Warringah | 16 |
| Jordan Etto | Campbelltown | 9 |
| Wayd Blackburne | Balmain | 9 |
| Alphonse Jambarufo | Campbelltown | 9 |
| Jack McKinlay | UNSW/ES | 9 |
| Daniel Schachers | North Shore | 7 |
| Dean Gilbert | St George | 6 |
| Matt Varjavandi | North Shore | 6 |
| Ben Polley | Western Suburbs | 2 |
| Lachlan Hayres | North Shore | 1 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Jake Monk | North Shore | |
| Alex O’Dea | Sydney University | |
| Jesse Mudge | St George | |
| Tom McCaffrey | Manly Warringah |
Photo: Levi Sands (left) receiving his award from Defence Force Recruiting representative, Captain Patrina Baldwin
AFL SYDNEY 2012 RISING STAR
UNSW/ES ruckman, Sam Tagliabue has been awarded the 2012 AFL Sydney Rising Star award.
The 21 year old Tagliabue had an outstanding year which included selection in the AFL Sydney Representative side as well as the NSW Country side.
Tagliabue polled 33 votes, two clear of Tim Wales from Pennant Hills. Sam Naismith from North Shore finished third on 25 votes.
Full voting:
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Sam Tagliabue | UNSW/ES | 33 |
| Tim Wales | Pennant Hills | 31 |
| Sam Naismith | North Shore | 25 |
| Jack Davis | North Shore | 18 |
| Damon Steer | Sydney Hills Eagles | 11 |
| Josh Cass | Balmain | 7 |
| Jackson Monk | Balmain | 6 |
| Jordan West | St George | 6 |
| Bradley Plug | Balmain | 5 |
| Stephen Wray | Pennant Hills | 5 |
| Taran Etto | Campbelltown | 4 |
| Bryce Martin | Campbelltown | 3 |
| Jack Codd-Miller | Western Suburbs | 3 |
| Jacob Brookfield | Illawarra | 3 |
| Jarryd Polley | Western Suburbs | 2 |
| Paul Green | Campbelltown | 2 |
| Jordan Weir | North Shore | 1 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Alex Hawtin | Sydney University | |
| Dane Roberton | Sydney University |
Photo: Sam Tagliabue (left) receiving his award from GWS GIANTS Co-Captain, Luke Power
AFL SYDNEY 2011 RISING STAR
St George youngster, Nick Ryan has been awarded the 2011 AFL Sydney NAB Rising Star.
Nineteen year-old Ryan graduated from the Under 18 Premier Cup squad and made an instant impression, kicking 34 goals in 13 games in the Premier Division competition this year.
He earned his nomination in Round 19 after kicking six goals in the side’s 27 point loss to Balmain .
Ryan polled 29 votes, three clear of Tim Barrett from Sydney University. Hayden Nichols from UNSW/ES finished third on 23 votes.
Full voting
| Name | Club | Votes |
| Nick Ryan | St George | 29 |
| Tim Barrett | Sydney University | 26 |
| Hayden Nichols | UNSW/ES | 23 |
| Lloyd Perris | St George | 19 |
| Thomas Head | Balmain | 17 |
| Bryce Joynson | Campbelltown | 14 |
| Brandon Jack | Pennant Hills | 12 |
| Jackson Dwyer | East Coast Eagles | 6 |
| Sam Boughton | Pennant Hills | 5 |
| Rory Pryor | North Shore | 3 |
| Robbie Bamford | Western Suburbs | 2 |
| Jordan West | St George | 2 |
| Craig Moller | Sydney University | 1 |
| Other Nominees | ||
| Ethan Hailey | Illawarra | |
| Monty Krochmal | Sydney University | |
| Michael Hartley | Sydney University | |
| David Lycakis | St George | |
| Thomas Green | Illawarra | |
| Patrick Codling | North Shore | |
| Lachlan Kilpatrick | North Shore |
Photo: Nick Ryan (left) receiving his award from Tony Shepherd- Greater Western Sydney Giants Chairman