Who will win the Rising Star award in 2024? Jon Ralph looks at the contenders

The Rising Star might seem like Harley Reid’s to lose, but that is not the case. JON RALPH looks at a dozen contenders in what shapes to be a spectacular race for the award.

Sam Darcy has spent two and a half years at Whitten Oval bearing the moniker of the club’s great white hope.

West Coast’s senior players are blown away by Harley Reid’s gifts but worry that like Nic Naitanui before him he can’t go to a local cafe without being bombarded by fans.

George Wardlaw has a kick-arse nickname - the Warlord - and the brief glimpses in 2023 due to hamstring issues only added to the mouthwatering anticipation entering his second year.

Only in the AFL could three players from different drafts - an 18-year-old, 19-year-old and 20-year-old - all be vying for a Rising Star award.

And yet a combination of factors does set up a spectacular Rising Star race in 2024, no matter how many Eagles fans will believe Reid is home before he even plays a game in anger.

Harley Reid is no sure thing to win the Rising Star in 2024. Picture: Getty Images

A year after Roos No.1 pick Jason Horne-Francis was stuck in starvation corner as a forward-mid in 2022, Harry Sheezel’s deployment at half back paved the way for him to win the 2023 Rising Star.

It sets a pattern that will allow the Roos latest midfield extractor Colby McKercher to follow in his footsteps and release Reid to win the ball in defence no matter how deplorable West Coast is this year.

So with four players in single figures with TAB for the Rising Star and a dozen players $21 or less, how are the contenders placed?

Originally published as Who will win the Rising Star award in 2024? Jon Ralph looks at the contenders