AFL Rising Star 2025: Geelong defender Connor O’Sullivan as early favourite for 14-year first after strong start
There is no clear frontrunner in a tight Rising Star race, but Connor O’Sullivan is putting forward as strong a case as any. And he has a point of difference. See the contenders and have your say.
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Connor O’Sullivan may not have played in round one if it weren’t for an injury to Jake Kolodjashnij, and two months later he is arguably the frontrunner in a tight Rising Star race.
The No.11 pick of the 2023 draft was forced to learn the ropes in the VFL in his first season at AFL level as he managed one senior game, but the 19-year-old has been a shining light in the Cats defence in 2025.
O’Sullivan’s strong start has put him right in contention to clinch a 14-year first as the first key defender since former Adelaide stopper Daniel Talia to take out the Rising Star.
Brisbane father-son young gun Levi Ashcroft, smooth-moving Fremantle forward Murphy Reid, Richmond No.1 pick Sam Lalor and exciting Melbourne duo Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay are others firmly in the mix for the award.
That talented handful have all been super impressive, but O’Sullivan has performed with aplomb in one of the toughest roles for a young player, which will surely work in his favour.
With Kolodjashnij sidelined for the early rounds and Jack Henry going down in round four, the athletic 198 centimetre talent has rose to the challenge.
O’Sullivan earned a Rising Star nomination in round two after lifting with the game on the line against St Kilda and followed it up with a polished display in the wet in their loss to Brisbane at the Gabba where he held Eric Hipwood to one disposal in 59 minutes.
Henry was subbed out in the first half against Melbourne, and O’Sullivan stepped up the plate with four intercept marks after halftime and finished with 23 disposals, 13 marks and eight intercepts.
There was one blip on Easter Monday against Hawthorn, where he conceded his positioning was below his usual standard.
“That’s where I feel like I let myself down there a little bit,” O’Sullivan said.
“It was just about being really honest in my review about where I’m sort of at and where my game was at,” O’Sullivan told this masthead.
“So Easter Monday was probably a game that I love to have in terms of a great learning, taking out of it.
“There was a lot of areas where I felt like I lacked that I usually a pride of my game on. So it was just about backing in my strengths again, not dwelling on the past, but also learning from the opportunities that I got from that game.”
O’Sullivan responded strongly to that off day in his toughest assignments yet.
In his eighth AFL game, O’Sullivan had the ominous task of stopping formidable duo Harry McKay and Charlie Curnow at different stages on Sunday afternoon.
And if it wasn’t for his and Sam De Koning’s first half efforts, the Cats would have been a lot worse off, with Chris Scott full of praise for both post-match.
“We went into the game thinking, ‘Okay Connor O’Sullivan as a 19 year old’s going to play on Curnow and McKay, De Koning on the other one for big parts’,” Scott said.
“Our backs really held up under extreme pressure early on and it’s heartening when you see a 19-year-old playing on genuine guns at the competition and looking really comfortable, more than comfortable, playing behind ball.”
O’Sullivan’s intercept game was on full display as he racked up another 12 intercepts – six of those coming in the first quarter – to go with 17 disposals and nine spoils.
He also restricted McKay to four touches and a goal in 38 minutes in their direct match-up.
“It was obviously a really good learning opportunity for me. They’ve had some great experience in the AFL competition, and to sort of play against (McKay and Curnow) for the majority of the game is really good,” O’Sullivan said.
“Their craft and how they use the ball is unbelievable, so I obviously look to sort of review that and how they do it.”
O’Sullivan reads the play to perfection and has rare aerobic capacity and mobility for a player his size.
But perhaps his best trait is he is always hungry to improve and is never satisfied.
“I felt like I had some pretty good moments (against Carlton), but like every week there is a lot for me to work on,” O’Sullivan said.
“My kicking wasn’t where it should have been, there was a couple of times Curnow and McKay really looked dangerous leading. So that’s something that I’ll just continue to work on and just hopefully bring into next week.”
He may well be the early Rising Star favourite, but his focus is on helping the team succeed, rather than individual accolades.
“My goal is to become the best footballer I can become, and I want to do that as quickly as possible,” O’Sullivan said.
“But it hasn’t been a massive goal for me to be acknowledged in those awards and stuff like that.
“The feeling of winning in Gather Round and last week on Easter Monday, I feel like that surpasses any sort of individual award I could ever get.”
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Originally published as AFL Rising Star 2025: Geelong defender Connor O’Sullivan as early favourite for 14-year first after strong start
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