SUNS midfielder Jeremy Sharp has been named the Round 18 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after a standout performance against the Western Bulldogs.
Sharp was one of the best players afield in the tight loss to the Dogs, finishing with a career-high 30 disposals, 10 marks and 518 metres gained.
In just his sixth AFL game, Sharp is quickly establishing himself as an important player in Gold Coast’s future.
The 19-year-old made his AFL debut in Round 10, 2020 and played two games in his debut season before making his 2021 debut in Round 15 against North Melbourne.
He’s played four games on the bounce averaging over 21 disposals, 6 marks and kicked his first goal against Richmond in Round 16.
The Gold Coast SUNS traded up the order to secure the Western Australian with selection 27 in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft from East Fremantle.
Sharp, who played his junior football with the Attadale Bombers in Perth, represented Western Australia at the 2018 and 2019 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and earnt All-Australian honours on both occasions after impressive representative carnivals.
In his draft year he averaged over 15 disposals in the WAFL for East Fremantle in his six matches at senior level.
A NAB AFL Rising Star nominee will be named following each round of football in the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership season.
Following each round 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 2021 NAB AFL Rising Star. The panel takes into account the performance in that round first before comparing the performances in previous rounds when deciding who is the best performed ‘eligible player’ for that week.
The 2021 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal, along with $20,000 from NAB and a dedicated private banker. NAB continues to support footballers by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Jeremy Sharp junior club, Attadale Bombers Football Club, will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2500, comprising financial and practical resources, as a result of his Round 18 nomination. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $900,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfill their dream of playing in the AFL.
The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program comprises the following elements:
• NAB AFL Rising Star
• NAB AFL Draft
• NAB AFL Draft Combine
• NAB AFL Under-19 Championships
• NAB AFL Academy
• NAB AFL Under-17 Championships
• NAB League
NAB has been supporting footy from grassroots to the elite level since 2002, providing boys and girls with a clear pathway from NAB AFL Auskick through the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program all the way to the big time.
A NAB AFL Rising Star nominee will be named following each round of football in the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership season.
