AFL Women's Rising Star

AFL Women's Rising Star
Previous: 2025 AFL Women's Rising Star
Awarded forThe best young player in the AFL Women's
Sponsored byTelstra
LocationCrown Melbourne
CountryAustralia
First award2017
Currently held byZippy Fish (Sydney)
WebsiteAFLW Rising Star Award
Television/radio coverage
NetworkFox Footy

The AFL Women's Rising Star award is presented annually to the best young player in the AFL Women's (AFLW) during the home-and-away season. The first award was awarded in 2017. The award has been sponsored by Telstra since 2024.

Eligibility and voting procedure

To be eligible for nomination, a player must be under 21 years of age on 1 January of that year and not have been previously nominated. Players suspended during the season may be nominated, but cannot win. At the end of the season, each member of a voting panel, which also selects the AFL Women's All-Australian team, awards five votes, four votes, three votes, two votes and one vote to the nominated players they judge the best to fifth-best during the season respectively; the player with the highest total of votes wins.

Winners

Season Winner Club Recruited Ref.
2017Ebony MarinoffAdelaide2016 AFL Women's draft, selection 7
2018Chloe MolloyCollingwood2017 AFL Women's draft, selection 3
2019Maddy PrespakisCarlton2018 AFL Women's draft, selection 3
2020Isabel HuntingtonWestern Bulldogs2017 AFL Women's draft, selection 1
2021Tyla HanksMelbourne2018 AFL Women's draft, selection 6
2022 (S6)Mimi HillCarlton2020 AFL Women's draft, selection 12
2022 (S7)Hannah EwingsPort Adelaide2022 AFL Women's draft, selection 3
2023Zarlie GoldsworthyGreater Western Sydney2022 AFL Women's draft, selection 20
2024Matilda ScholzPort Adelaide2023 under-age signing
2025Zippy FishSydney2024 AFL Women's draft, selection 5

Nominations

Nominations by club

Updated to the end of the 2025 season.

Club Nominations Winners
Adelaide121
Brisbane120
Carlton162
Collingwood81
Essendon50
Fremantle70
Geelong60
Gold Coast70
Greater Western Sydney111
Hawthorn60
Melbourne101
North Melbourne40
Port Adelaide72
Richmond20
St Kilda60
Sydney71
West Coast100
Western Bulldogs181

Most nominations in a season

Number Club Season Nominees
5Western Bulldogs2018Libby Birch, Monique Conti, Naomi Ferres, Bonnie Toogood, Aisling Utri
4Melbourne2017Deanna Berry, Jasmine Grierson, Lily Mithen, Katherine Smith
Brisbane2021Belle Dawes, Nat Grider, Tahlia Hickie, Courtney Hodder
3Adelaide2018Sarah Allan, Anne Hatchard, Eloise Jones
Carlton2020Grace Egan, Lucy McEvoy, Charlotte Wilson
St Kilda2020Caitlin Greiser, Georgia Patrikios, Olivia Vesely
Fremantle2022 (S6)Dana East, Mikayla Morrison, Sarah Verrier
Western Bulldogs2022 (S6)Elisabeth Georgostathis, Nell Morris-Dalton, Isabelle Pritchard
Port Adelaide2022 (S7)Abbey Dowrick, Hannah Ewings, Indy Tahau
Sydney2022 (S7)Montana Ham, Sofia Hurley, Cynthia Hamilton
Hawthorn2023Charlotte Baskaran, Jasmine Fleming, Lucy Wales
Sydney2023Ella Heads, Sofia Hurley, Ally Morphett
Port Adelaide2024Molly Brooksby, Shineah Goody, Matilda Scholz

Achievements of winners

Won a premiership

Won the Rising Star and a premiership in the same season

Won the AFL Women's best and fairest

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Telstra new naming rights partner of AFL/AFLW Drafts, Rising Star Awards". afl.com.au. 17 June 2024. Archived from the original on 23 June 2024. Retrieved 2 September 2024.
  2. ↑ Thomas, Kirralee (7 February 2018). "AFLW: Rising Star Eligibility". afc.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
  3. ↑ Black, Sarah (5 March 2019). "Second Rising Star nominees named for Cats, Crows". womens.afl. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 7 November 2019. Retrieved 7 November 2019. "Scheer [is] the ... AFLW Rising Star nominee ... She has played four games this season (missing one through suspension)
  4. ↑ "NAB AFL Women's Rising Star". womens.afl. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  5. 1 2 Black, Sarah (28 March 2017). "Crows teenager Ebony Marinoff named AFLW Rising Star". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  6. ↑ Navaratnam, Dinny (27 March 2018). "W Awards: Dogs star named League B&F". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
  7. ↑ Navaratnam, Dinny (2 April 2019). "Five Crows, four Roos headline All Australian team". womens.afl. Archived from the original on 2 April 2019. Retrieved 2 April 2019.
  8. ↑ McGowan, Marc (28 April 2020). "Star Dog bounces back from injuries to claim Rising Star award". womens.afl. Archived from the original on 13 May 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2020.
  9. ↑ Black, Sarah (20 April 2021). "This rise is official: 157cm Demon Tyla Hanks is the NAB AFLW Rising Star". womens.afl. Archived from the original on 20 April 2021. Retrieved 20 April 2021.
  10. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (5 April 2022). "A Rising Star on the Hill: Blues star claims prestigious award". womens.afl. Archived from the original on 5 April 2022. Retrieved 5 April 2022.
  11. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (22 November 2022). "Rise to power: Port midfield gun named Rising Star". womens.afl. Archived from the original on 22 November 2022. Retrieved 22 November 2022.
  12. ↑ Bastiani, Gemma (22 November 2023). "Giants gun edges out young Swan to win Rising Star award". afl.com.au. Archived from the original on 27 November 2023. Retrieved 23 November 2023.
  13. ↑ Kennelly, Hannah (25 November 2024). "Marinoff crowned league best and fairest in thrilling count". The Age. Retrieved 25 November 2024.
  14. ↑ Laughton, Max; Faulkner, Will (24 November 2025). "Kangaroos superstar finally wins AFLW's top gong after years of snubs... and two more this year". Fox Sports. Retrieved 25 November 2025.