Sydney Swans Academy member Jake Brown has been awarded the Round 17 NEAFL Rising Star nomination after his classy performance against NT Thunder at the SCG.

In his return from an eight-week injury, Brown collected 24 disposals, six marks and four inside 50s in his first game of NEAFL since Round 8.

Originally from Coffs Harbour, Brown, 19, has been a member of the Swans Academy since he was 12 and made his NEAFL debut for the Swans in 2015.

The promising midfielder has battled a shoulder reconstruction and stress fractures in the past two years, the latest injury ruling him out of the Allies team in this year’s National Under-18s Championships.

Brown’s return on Saturday was an important step for the young gun as he hopes to put himself in AFL Draft contention with a strong finish to the NEAFL season.

“My game on the weekend was the first time in about a year where I haven’t been sore after a match,” Brown said.

“It felt unreal. It was good to get back out there. You have to think to yourself that if you finish the season strongly, who knows what can happen.”

The Rising Star is awarded to the most promising young talent in the NEAFL competition.

Nominees must be under the age of 21 and played less than 20 senior games (excluding games as AFL Academy players) at the start of the 2017 season.