Geelong young gun Ollie Dempsey has taken out this year’s AFL Rising Star Award after a season which thrust the eligibility rules into the spotlight.
The 21-year-old cemented his spot on the wing for the Cats, playing all 23 games to help seal another top-four finish for the club.
He averaged over 17 touches a game and kicked 21 goals.
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Dempsey was a near unanimous winner of the award with 52 of 55 votes to beat out North Melbourne’s George Wardlaw (43) and Brisbane’s Kai Lohmann (23).
He received the Ron Evans Medal and $20,000 in prize money after polling a maximum five votes from nine of the 11-member selection panel, chaired by AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon.
But it comes with a hint of an asterisk.
West Coast emerging superstar Harley Reid and Western Bulldogs son of a gun Sam Darcy were the early favourites, but were both ruled ineligible for the award due to suspensions.
During his acceptance speech, Dempsey addressed the awkward situation with a hilarious joke.
“Firstly, thanks to Ron Evans, it’s a real honour to win this award,” he said seriously, before dropping the gag to leave the crowd in stitches.
“Jez (Jeremy Cameron) told me earlier today to make sure I got up here and thanked the tribunal for ruling out Harley Reid and Sam Darcy.
“Thought I might throw that one in there,” he added with a laugh.
Dempsey is the second Geelong player to win the Rising Star award after club great Joel Selwood in 2007.
Like the Brownlow Medal, the Rising Star is given to best and fairest player from the season and to be nominated, the player must be under the age of 21 on January 1 of that year and have played 10 or fewer AFL games at the start of the season.
Critics of the award have questioned whether a suspension should rule a player out, but the age threshold has also come under fire.
Dempsey, who is in his third year in the AFL, turns 22 on January 7, meaning he qualifies by just seven days.
Former Adelaide captain Mark Bickley said the rules are not “fair” to first-year players.
“I’m going to have a bit of a crack at the Rising Star Award which is going to be announced on Thursday night,” Bickley said earlier on SEN.
“I just don’t think it’s even and fair, because out of all the experts, 90 per cent of them think that Ollie Dempsey from Geelong is going to win the award.
“Now, Ollie Dempsey is about to turn 22. He debuted three seasons ago, so he played two games in his first year and five games in his second – so he stayed under the 10-game criteria and he’s played a full season this year.
“He’s competing against Caleb Windsor, Colby McKercher and Darcy Wilson, who are playing their first year, who have done one pre-season … it doesn’t reward guys who are brilliant enough to play in their first season.
“It actually rewards blokes who battle their way through for two or three years before they actually hit their straps.
“I’m just not sure it’s totally fair.
Reid was named the AFL Players Association’s best first-year player ahead of Darcy Wilson and Melbourne winger Caleb Windsor.
North Melbourne’s prolific Harry Sheezel won the AFL Coaches Association’s best young player award, which recognises players based on performances over their first two seasons.
Sheezel was the Rising Star winner last year at the end of an outstanding debut season.
2024 AFL RISING STAR AWARD:
1. Ollie Dempsey (Geelong) – 52 votes
2. George Wardlaw (North Melbourne) – 43 votes
3. Kai Lohmann (Brisbane Lions) – 21 votes
4. Darcy Wilson (St Kilda) – 15 votes
5. Colby McKercher (North Melbourne) – 12 votes
– With AAP
