Lewis Melican from the Sydney Swans Football Club is the Round Eighteen NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
The impressive defender stood up in a key defensive role in his club’s 42-point win over St Kilda at the SCG on Saturday.
This year’s first NAB AFL Rising Star nominee for the Swans, Melican had a strong performance against St Kilda, balancing defence with attack and gathering 15 possessions with a 87 percent disposal efficiency and eight contested possessions.
Sydney coach John Longmire said Melican is growing in confidence each week.
“Lewis’ form has been really good – he’s very coachable and he’s been able to learn every week to become more consistent with each game,” Longmire said.
“He’s taken on some big challenges every week and played on some of the competition’s best forwards, and we’ve got confidence in him that he can do that.
“He’s a terrific country boy who is a fairly quiet, respectful kid and he’s getting more confident every week with the more football he plays.
“Lewis was the youngest player drafted in his draft year and it’s been great to see his development, both as a player and a person, over the past few years.”
Pick 52 for the Swans in the 2015 Rookie Draft, Melican had a run of injuries over the past two seasons before the young defender was able to put together a string of consistent performances in the NEAFL. Promoted to the senior list to make his debut in Round Five this year against the GWS Giants in the 2017 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, he has missed just one game since.
Over his 12 senior games, Melican has averaged 12.6 disposals and settled into the strong Swans’ defensive unit. The 193-cm defender impressed for the Geelong Falcons at TAC Cup level, after playing his junior football with the Birregurra Saints in the Colac and District Football and Netball League.
Following each round of the Home and Away season, a panel of judges select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2017 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2017 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal, a $20,000 personal investment folio and a dedicated personal banker, courtesy of NAB.
NAB continues to support footballers by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Melican’s junior club, the Birregurra Saints, which plays in the Colac and District Football and Netball League, will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2500, comprising financial and practical resources, as a result of his Round Thirteen nomination. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $765,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL. The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Trade Period
- NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
- NAB AFL Academy
- NAB AFL Under-16 Championships
NAB has supported the footy community for over a decade, providing boys and girls with a clear pathway from NAB AFL Auskick through the NAB AFL Rising Stars program all the way to the big time.
