SUNS midfielder Elijah Hollands has been named the Round 21 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
Hollands had 23 disposals, two goals and 521 metres gained in the SUNS' seven-point loss to Hawthorn on the weekend.
In his third career game, Hollands had a game-high nine marks along with three tackles, five inside-50s and four score involvements.
Gold Coast SUNS' Senior Coach Stuart Dew said it was great to see the third-gamer take the game on.
"To be able to come in and not just get a couple of games and get back out, but he's come in and delivered what we're after," Dew said.
"He knows where the goals are, he's flexible, he can play multiple positions – so we're really pleased."
The 20-year-old is the second Gold Coast SUNS player to receive the NAB Rising Star nomination this season, following teammate Joel Jeffrey's nomination in Round 10.
Hollands was drafted with the seventh pick in the 2020 NAB AFL Draft from the Murray Bushrangers.
The top 10 draft pick tore his ACL in his draft year and was forced to wait almost two seasons before making his debut in the Round 19 QClash.
Before playing with the Murray Bushrangers, Hollands played junior football with the Wodonga Bulldogs in the Albury Wodonga Junior Football League.
His father, Ben Hollands, played eight games with Richmond in the 1999 season.
In February this year, the midfielder extended his contract until the end of 2024.
A NAB AFL Rising Star nominee will be named following each week of football in the 2022 Toyota AFL Premiership season.
Following each week of the Home and Away season, a panel of judges select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2022 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2022 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal, along with $20,000 from NAB and the opportunity to discuss their financial goals with a NAB Private Client Manager. NAB continues to support footballers by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players.
Elijah Hollands' junior club, Wodonga Bulldogs Football Club, which plays in the Albury Wodonga Junior Football League, will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2500, comprising financial and practical resources, as a result of his Round 21 nomination.
Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $1 million worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
2022 NAB AFL Rising Star nominees
Round 1 - Nic Martin (Essendon)
Round 2 - Jake Bowey (Melbourne)
Round 3 - Nick Daicos (Collingwood)
Round 4 - Josh Rachele (Adelaide Crows)
Round 5 - Jai Newcombe (Hawthorn)
Round 6 - Jack Ginnivan (Collingwood)
Round 7 - Jason Horne-Francis (North Melbourne)
Round 8 - Heath Chapman (Fremantle)
Round 9 - Corey Durdin (Carlton)
Round 10 - Joel Jeffrey (Gold Coast SUNS)
Round 11 - Sam De Koning (Geelong Cats)
Round 12 - Logan McDonald (Sydney Swans)
Round 13 - Brandon Walker (Fremantle)
Round 14 - Ben Hobbs (Essendon)
Round 15 - Lachlan Jones (Port Adelaide)
Round 16 - Massimo D'Ambrosio (Essendon)
Round 17 - Hugo Ralphsmith (Richmond)
Round 18 - Josh Ward (Hawthorn)
Round 19 - Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Western Bulldogs)
Round 20 - Noah Cumberland (Richmond)
Round 21 - Elijah Hollands (Gold Coast SUNS)
