Sydney Swans young forward Will Hayward is the Round 23 AFL Rising Star nominee.

Hayward played a strong supporting role in his club’s 81-point victory over Carlton on the weekend.

The second NAB AFL Rising Star for Sydney this season, Hayward proved to be a dangerous forward kicking three goals for the Swans.

Joining the Swans as their second selection (pick 21 overall) in the 2016 National Draft, Hayward made his debut in the second round of the 2017 Toyota AFL Premiership season against the Western Bulldogs.

Since making his debut, Hayward has proved himself to be a dynamic forward kicking 22 goals in his 17 games played so far in 2017.

After a four-week bout on the sidelines due to injury, Hayward returned to the senior side in round 19 where his marking tenacity and goal accuracy helped his side secure a place in the finals.  

Hailing from South Australia, Hayward spent his junior football career at Walkerville, which has this season joined the SANFL Juniors Competition.

Coach John Longmire congratulated the young South Australian on his achievements.

“We were really happy to get Will in the draft. Looking at the vision during his draft year, we thought he was a real competitor and had great speed and that’s exactly what we saw from the first moment he trained with the team after a delayed pre-season,” Longmire said.

“Will’s been fantastic for us this year; he’s a great athlete, a real competitor, terrific mark and has a fantastic temperament for AFL football.

“He’s really easy to coach, he takes and receives feedback really well and acts on it – he’s had a wonderful first year.”

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. Hayward’s junior club, Walkerville, which plays in the SANFL Juniors Competition, 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.