Rising Star Revist: 30 years on, we track down the 1994 nominees for the AFL’s best young player award

It is 30 years since Cats premiership coach Chris Scott won the then Norwich Rising Star award — but it wasn’t without controversy. Find out where all the nominees from 1994 are now.

When the Rising Star award is voted on — and won — at the end of this season, one thing we know for certain is it won’t be the two favourites who are victorious.

If the player considered most likely right now gets up, it will be North’s George Wardlaw - and not the suspended Harley Reid or Sam Darcy — who takes home the trophy.

There will be a bit of deja vu about it for North premiership star Corey McKernan given it will be 30 years since he was in exactly the same situation.

Better known for missing out on a share of the 1996 Brownlow through suspension, McKernan had a similar fate in 1994 when, despite winning the vote count, he was denied the Rising Star for the same reason.

Current Geelong coach Chris Scott was the 1994 Rising Star winner in his playing days with the Brisbane Bears.

Current Cats premiership coach — and then Brisbane Bear — Chris Scott was crowned the winner, giving the Bears the quinella after Nathan Buckley had won the inaugural award the previous year.

The fact that neither Reid or Darcy will receive votes this year can be traced back thirty years to when the rules were changed after the McKernan embarrassment so suspended players couldn’t receive votes from the judging panel.

McKernan was nominated in round 2 of the 1994 season with former Essendon and Port star Che Cockatoo-Collins getting the nod in round 1 for a 21 possession, three goal debut against eventual premiers West Coast.

The list of nominees includes premiership players Sean Wellman, Drew Banfield and Scott, but also players who’s AFL careers didn’t go much further after the ‘94 season in Crow Matt Kluzek, Pie Kent Butcher and West Coast’s Brett Spinks.

Jamie Tape in action for the Tigers, 1997

And it also includes Jamie Tape — a young South Australian who started promisingly at Richmond and then Collingwood but tragically lost his life at just 28 after suffering a suspected brain aneurysm and crashing his car. At the time, Tape was on the way to beating blood cancer.

30 years is a long time in footy, so where are the Rising Stars of 1994 now?

Originally published as Rising Star Revist: 30 years on, we track down the 1994 nominees for the AFL’s best young player award