Humble Cat Ollie Dempsey claims AFL Rising Star award in 17-year first

A Geelong youngster has delivered a cheeky swipe to two of his rivals after claiming the AFL’s Rising Star award on Thursday.

Ollie Dempsey is the 2024 Rising Star.

The rapid rise of humble Cat Ollie Dempsey has been rewarded, crowned the 2024 Rising Star award as part of the AFL awards night.

Dempsey polled 52 votes to pip North Melbourne’s George Wardlaw (43 votes) and become just the second Geelong player after four-time premiership star Joel Selwood (2007) to win the Rising Star award.

Dempsey and Wardlaw were well ahead of Brisbane’s Kai Lohmann (21), St Kilda’s Darcy Wilson (15) and Kangaroo Colby McKercher (12), who rounded out the top five.

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“It is definitely an honour; (you) look at those names and even thinking about it now, it’s very cool,” Dempsey said.

“Life’s (so good), I can’t complain as an AFL footballer - it’s the best job in the world … I’m loving life at the moment.

“It’s a true blessing to be up here.”

Dempsey polled five votes from nine of the 11 judges, with only Abbey Holmes and Josh Mahoney not giving the Geelong forward maximum votes. Mahoney gave Lohmann five votes and Wardlaw four.

Ollie Dempsey of the Geelong Cats is seen after being awarded the Rising Star. Picture: Michael Willson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

A product of the Sandringham Dragons, Dempsey is another Geelong draft bargain after being taken as a rookie in 2021.

He played just seven games and kicked two goals across his first two seasons with the club. But he’s become a mainstay of the Cats’ best 22 this season, kicking 21 goals and averaging 17.7 disposals from all of Geelong’s 23 games.

Dempsey was the Round 1 nominee after his three-goal, 15-disposal performance against St Kilda.

Dempsey wasn’t the hot early-season favourite to win the award after West Coast’s Harley Reid and Western Bulldogs’ Sam Darcy strong start to the year.

But the duo became ineligible to win the Rising Star after they were both suspended for incidents in Round 12.

Ollie Dempsey of the Geelong Cats is presented the Rising Star by Harry Sheezel of the North Melbourne Kangaroos. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

Dempsey and Wardlaw were then catapulted into favouritism, with Dempsey finishing the season stronger.

“(Jeremy Cameron) told me to thank the tribunal for ruling out Harley Reid and Sam Darcy, so I thought I might throw that one in there,” Dempsey said with a laugh.

Speaking on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 two days before the AFL Awards Night, Geelong coach Chris Scott said Dempsey would be a deserving yet humble winner.

“He will acknowledge that there are a couple of really well-performed players who are ineligible. But that shouldn’t change the way that he feels about the way he’s gone about his footy,” Scott told AFL 360 on Tuesday night.

“I love that as a coach when you have players that change the way you think about things, even subtly.

“Ollie’s just one of the most optimistic, happy guys you’ll meet.”

AFL RISING STAR 2024 VOTES AND LEADERBOARD

1. Ollie Dempsey (Geelong Cats) – 52 votes

2. George Wardlaw (North Melbourne) – 43

3. Kai Lohmann (Brisbane Lions) – 21

4. Darcy Wilson (St Kilda) – 15

5. Colby McKercher (North Melbourne) – 12

6. Bodhi Uwland (Gold Coast Suns) – 9

7. Darcy Jones (GWS Giants) – 6

8. Matt Roberts (Sydney Swans) – 3

9. Lawson Humphries (Geelong) – 2

=10. Caleb Windsor (Melbourne) and Logan Morris (Brisbane) – 1

EVERY JUDGE’S VOTING

Andrew Dillon (Chair)

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Darcy Jones

2. Darcy Wilson

1. Colby McKercher

Eddie Betts

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Darcy Jones

2. Lawson Humphries

1. Bodhi Uwland

Jude Bolton

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Matt Roberts

2. Darcy Wilson

1. Kai Lohmann

Nathan Buckley

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Bodhi Uwland

2. Darcy Wilson

1. Kai Lohmann

Kane Cornes

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Darcy Wilson

2. Bodhi Uwland

1. Kai Lohmann

Abbey Holmes

5. George Wardlaw

4. Oliver Dempsey

3. Colby McKercher

2. Kai Lohmann

1. Bodhi Uwland

Glen Jakovich

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. Kai Lohmann

3. Colby McKercher

2. George Wardlaw

1. Bodhi Uwland

Matthew Pavlich

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Kai Lohmann

2. Colby McKercher

1. Bodhi Uwland

Laura Kane

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Colby McKercher

2. Kai Lohmann

1. Darcy Wilson

Josh Mahoney

5. Kai Lohmann

4. George Wardlaw

3. Oliver Dempsey

2. Darcy Wilson

1. Logan Morris

Kevin Sheehan

5. Oliver Dempsey

4. George Wardlaw

3. Darcy Wilson

2. Kai Lohmann

1. Caleb Windsor

Originally published as Humble Cat Ollie Dempsey claims AFL Rising Star award in 17-year first