2017 AFL Rising Star
{{short description|Australian rules football award}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox award
| name = 2017 AFL Rising Star
| image = Andrew McGrath 2017.1.jpg
| imagesize = 200px
| alt = Male athlete in sleeveless guernsey
| caption = Andrew McGrath, 2017 winner{{cite news |author1= |title=Essendon's Andrew McGrath wins AFL's Rising Star award |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-01/essendons-andrew-mc-grath-wins-rising-star-award/8863846 |access-date=15 September 2018 |work=ABC News |agency=Australian Associated Press |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=1 September 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209104703/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-09-01/essendons-andrew-mc-grath-wins-rising-star-award/8863846 |archive-date=9 February 2018 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all }}
| sponsor = National Australia Bank
| country = Australia
| holder_label = Ron Evans medallist
| holder = Andrew McGrath ({{AFL Ess}})
| date = 1 September 2017
| location =
| network = Fox Footy
| previous = 2016
| main = AFL Rising Star
| next = 2018
}}
The AFL Rising Star is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best young player in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the year. An eligible player is nominated for the award each round during the AFL's regular season, and a panel of experts votes for the winner at the end of the season.{{cite web |author1= |title=Who is eligible for the NAB AFL Rising Star award? |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-04-29/who-is-eligible-for-the-nab-afl-rising-star-award |website=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=14 June 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180120000824/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-04-29/who-is-eligible-for-the-nab-afl-rising-star-award |archive-date=20 January 2018 |date=29 April 2015 |url-status=live}}
During the 2017 season, the award was sponsored by National Australia Bank, and the winner announced in a presentation held on 1 September 2017 and broadcast on subscription television by Fox Footy.{{cite web |last1=Gaskin |first1=Lee |title=NAB signs on as AFL Women's League naming-rights sponsor |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-10/nab-signs-on-as-afl-womens-league-namingrights-sponsor |website=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=15 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180404085800/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2016-10-10/nab-signs-on-as-afl-womens-league-namingrights-sponsor |archive-date=4 April 2018 |date=10 October 2016 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |author1= |title=AFL details events for Celebration of Football |url=http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2017-07-26/afl-details-events-for-celebration-of-football |website=westernbulldogs.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=15 September 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170811064859/http://www.westernbulldogs.com.au/news/2017-07-26/afl-details-events-for-celebration-of-football |archive-date=11 August 2017 |date=26 July 2017 |url-status=live|df=dmy-all }} The voting panel for this season consisted of eleven members, all of whom were AFL officials or former players: Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Andrew Dillon, Danny Frawley, Glen Jakovich, Chris Johnson, Cameron Ling, Gillon McLachlan, Matthew Richardson, Warren Tredrea and Kevin Sheehan.{{cite web |last1=Schmook |first1=Nathan |title=Dons' top draftee named Rising Star winner |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-01/bomber-named-2017-rising-star-winner |website=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181024220025/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2017-09-01/bomber-named-2017-rising-star-winner |archive-date=24 October 2018 |date=1 September 2017 |url-status=live}} The winner was Essendon player Andrew McGrath, who polled 51 votes. McGrath became only the third number-one draft pick to win the award, and the second Essendon recipient.
The club that garnered the most individual nominations this season was Carlton with five players nominated for the award.{{cite web |last1=Guldon |first1=Jacqueline |title=Carlton's Rising Star hopefuls |url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2017-08-31/carltons-rising-star-hopefuls |website=carltonfc.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180616165026/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2017-08-31/carltons-rising-star-hopefuls |archive-date=16 June 2018 |date=31 August 2017 |url-status=live}} This was a club record and the equal-second most nominations a club has garnered in an individual season, behind Greater Western Sydney's eight nominations in the 2012 season.{{cite web |title=Curnow fourth in Rising Star |url=http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2017-09-01/curnow-fourth-in-rising-star |website=carltonfc.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180411161351/http://www.carltonfc.com.au/news/2017-09-01/curnow-fourth-in-rising-star |archive-date=11 April 2018 |date=1 September 2017 |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Carlton aiming for Rising Star history |url=https://www.triplem.com.au/story/carlton-blues-need-another-four-rising-star-nominations-to-equal-greater-western-sydney-giants-rising-star-nominations-record-39962 |website=Triple M |publisher=Southern Cross Austereo |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203053919/https://www.triplem.com.au/story/carlton-blues-need-another-four-rising-star-nominations-to-equal-greater-western-sydney-giants-rising-star-nominations-record-39962 |archive-date=3 February 2019 |date=21 June 2017 |url-status=live}} Brisbane Lions player Alex Witherden, who received a nomination in round 17, was nominated for the award again in the 2018 season—becoming the eleventh player ever to be nominated twice for a Rising Star award.{{cite web |last1=McGowan |first1=Marc |title=Lion joins dual Rising Star nom club |url=http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-21/lion-joins-dual-rising-star-nom-club |website=AFL.com.au |publisher=Telstra Media |access-date=3 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180923063121/http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-21/lion-joins-dual-rising-star-nom-club#/ |archive-date=23 September 2018 |date=21 May 2018 |url-status=live}}
Nominations
File:Ryan Burton 2018.3.jpg finished second in the final voting for the season's award, with 41 votes.|alt=Male athlete in sleeveless guernsey holds football]]
File:Charlie Curnow 2017.1.jpg was one of five {{AFL Car}} players to be nominated for the Rising Star in 2017.|alt=Male athlete in sleeveless guernsey runs during a football match]]
File:Alex Witherden 2017.jpg, who received a nomination in round 17, was also nominated for the award in the 2018 season.|alt=Male athlete in sleeveless guernsey holds football]]
Final voting
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center" |
| scope="col"|Player
! scope="col"|Rank ! scope="col"|Club ! scope="col"|Votes |
|---|
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Andrew|McGrath}}
| 1 | {{AFL Ess}} | 51 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Ryan|Burton}}
| 2 | {{AFL Haw}} | 41 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Sam|Powell-Pepper}}
| 3 | {{AFL PA}} | 35 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Charlie|Curnow}}
| 4 | {{AFL Car}} | 27 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Eric|Hipwood}}
| 5 | {{AFL BL}} | 6 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Sam|Petrevski-Seton}}
| 6 | {{AFL Car}} | 3 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Lewis|Melican}}
| rowspan="2"|7 | {{AFL Syd}} | 1 |
| scope="row"|{{sortname|Tom|Phillips|Tom Phillips (Australian footballer)}}
| {{AFL Col}} | 1 |
See also
References
{{reflist|30em}}
{{2017 AFL Rising Star nominees}}
{{AFL Rising Star awards}}
{{2017 AFL season}}
{{featured list}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:AFL Rising Star, 2017}}