2016 AFL Rising Star

2016 NAB AFL Rising Star
Male athlete in sleeveless guernsey prepares to kick football
Callum Mills, 2016 winner[1]
Sponsored byNational Australia Bank
Date6 September 2016
LocationCrown Palladium
Ron Evans medallistCallum Mills (Sydney)
Television/radio coverage
NetworkFox Footy
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The AFL Rising Star is an Australian rules football award presented annually to the player adjudged the best young player in the Australian Football League (AFL) for the year. An eligible player is nominated for the award each round during the AFL's regular season, and a panel of experts vote for the winner at the end of the season.[2]

During the 2016 season, the award was sponsored by National Australia Bank.[3] The winner was announced in a presentation held at Crown Palladium on 6 September 2016 and broadcast on subscription television by Fox Footy.[1][4] The voting panel for the season consisted of ten members, all of whom were AFL officials or former players: Kevin Bartlett, Luke Darcy, Mark Evans, Danny Frawley, Glen Jakovich, Cameron Ling, Gillon McLachlan, Matthew Richardson, Warren Tredrea and Kevin Sheehan.[5]

The winner was Sydney player Callum Mills, who polled 49 votes.[1] Mills was the third Sydney recipient to win the award, and the first New South Wales–born winner.[1] The club that garnered the most individual nominations this season was Melbourne with four players nominated for the award, a record for the club.[6][7] Essendon player Orazio Fantasia, who received a nomination in round 17, was previously nominated for the award in the 2015 season—becoming the tenth player ever to be nominated twice for a Rising Star award.[8]

  1. ^ a b c d Navaratnam, Dinny (6 September 2016). "Sydney product Callum Mills makes history to win 2016 Rising Star Award". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Who is eligible for the NAB AFL Rising Star award?". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. 29 April 2015. Archived from the original on 20 January 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  3. ^ Gaskin, Lee (10 October 2016). "NAB signs on as AFL Women's League naming-rights sponsor". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 3 February 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  4. ^ Knox, David (31 August 2016). "FOX Footy: AFL Finals month". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 30 September 2017. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  5. ^ Lane, Samantha (6 September 2016). "Callum Mills wins 2016 AFL Rising Star award". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. Archived from the original on 4 April 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  6. ^ Guthrie, Ben (3 September 2016). "Which club has the most Rising Stars in the past five years?". AFL.com.au. Telstra Media. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  7. ^ "AFL 2016: Oscar McDonald joins Melbourne's rising stars". The Age. Melbourne: Fairfax Media. 15 August 2016. Archived from the original on 13 February 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.
  8. ^ "Fantasia earns second AFL Rising Star nod". sbs.com.au. Special Broadcasting Service. Australian Associated Press. 18 July 2016. Archived from the original on 14 June 2019. Retrieved 14 June 2019.