Cunningham, who is in his third year at the club, earned his nomination in round 15 following his impressive performance against GWS, which saw him collect 17 touches, seven marks and operate at over 82 per cent disposal efficiency.
The 20-year-old, who has not missed a game this season, has also produced a host of other impressive performances this year including a career-high 22 possessions against Richmond in round 14, as well as a four-goal haul against Gold Coast in round 12, and three goals in each of the sides trips to Adelaide Oval.
Recruited to the Swans as a rookie in 2012 and promoted to the senior list the following year, Cunningham has now notched up 28 games for the club, and is set to play in his third AFL final this weekend when the Swans meet the Dockers at ANZ Stadium.
After his nomination, Swans coach John Longmire said Cunningham thoroughly deserved the recognition following his stellar start to the season.
“To be able to come from the rookie list and now be getting the most out of himself is a real credit to Harry,” Longmire said.
“Harry has been able to persist and has had great belief in himself.
“He had a fantastic pre-season and he’s a terrific young bloke who has worked really hard at his game.
“It’s a real credit to him and we’re really pleased he’s been able to get the nomination.”
Second-year Swan Jake Lloyd earned his Rising Star nomination in round 21 this season, after picking up 21 possessions, 10 marks, seven tackles and one goal against St Kilda at the SCG.
Since making his debut in round five after being elevated from the rookie list, Lloyd has not missed a game for the club and has collected 20 possessions or more in seven matches this season, including a season-high 29 possession, three-tackle effort against the Brisbane Lions in round seven.
Longmire said he felt Lloyd’s nomination was the result of the young midfielder’s consistency and versatility.
“He’s always been an elite runner and ball-getter and he’s improved the other aspects of his game and he’s gotten to the stage that he’s been able to come into the senior team and play on a really consistent basis,” Longmire said.
“He’s able to play a number of different roles for us and it’s a good acknowledgement of his form to date that he’s been able to get a Rising Star nomination.”
The pair will face tough competition for this year’s award, with Western Bulldogs midfielder Marcus Bontempelli, Brisbane Lions James Aish and Lewis Taylor and North Melbourne’s Luke McDonald amongst the talented players in the hunt for this year’s award.
Cunningham and Lloyd’s Rising Star nominations this year marked the first occasion since 2003 (Adam Schneider and Lewis Roberts-Thomson) that the Swans had two nominations in a single season.
Other current Swans players to receive nominations include Tom Mitchell (2013), Sam Reid (2011), while Dan Hannebery (2010) and Adam Goodes (1999) have been previous winners of the prestigious award.
Due to training commitments in the lead up to this weekend’s qualifying final against Fremantle at ANZ Stadium, Cunningham and Lloyd won’t attend today’s ceremony in Melbourne.
