Gold Coast SUNS sole nominee Josh Caddy finished seventh overall in the 2012 NAB AFL Rising Star, polling three votes.

Caddy and his family were present at the function at Melbourne’s Crown Palladium and were extremely happy to be there.
It’s nice to be recognised with the honour and it’s great to come along to a function like this.“I’m here with my girlfriend and Mum and Dad as well as club representative, it’s great for my parents I think they get as much of a buzz out of it than i do”

Caddy was nominated in the GC SUNS Round 16 win over Richmond.

His hunger, quick thinking and goal sense was demonstrated perfectly when he produced a massive 70m bomb in the dying minutes to get his team with-in 2 goals.

But the day belonged to winner Daniel Talia from the Adelaide Crows.

Talia became the first Crow to win the award since its induction in 1993.

The Ron Evan’s medallist describe his win as “A huge honour”

I don’t think I really expected it, but I feel really privileged to be here. It’s good to get back home today and see my family and friends, and I’m obviously thrilled to win it.

Talia’s has made the Adelaide backline his fortress over the past year taking the opposition key forwards out of the game every week.

Coach Brendan Sanderson commended the young star in only his second year of senior footy.

“Daniel has had a fantastic season for us. He’s only 20 but we have kept giving him the big jobs in defence and he has kept delivering against some of the game’s best forwards.

“It hasn’t just been a week here and a week there. He has been doing it all season.

Talia played all 22 games and was on the field 88% of total match time.

Talia won with 43 votes, Jeremy Cameron (GWS) 2nd (35 votes) and Mitchell Wallis (Bulldogs) 3rd.

The NAB AFL Rising Star is voted by the All-Australian selection panel: Andrew Demetriou, Adrian Anderson, Danny Frawley, Kevin Bartlett, Mark Ricciuto, Luke Darcy, Glen Jakovich, Gerard Healy and Kevin Sheehan (rising star selector only).