The young Swans continue to impress with the club rewarded with a second straight NAB AFL Rising Star Nomination after young defender Braeden Campbell was voted the round two nominee after Sydney’s 33-point win over Adelaide on Saturday.
The rebounding defender finished with 25 disposals, 21 of them kicks, took six marks, laid two tackles and had 700+ metres gained which was in the top handful of AFL players across the weekend.
The Sydney Swans QBE Sydney Swans Academy player was taken with selection five in the 2020 AFL Draft after the Swans matched a bid from Hawthorn.
Campbell grew up in Pennant Hills on Sydney’s north shore, went to a rugby school but emerged as an AFL talent from a young age joining the QBE Swans Academy since under-11s. He played his junior football for Westbrook Junior AFL Club.
Campbell shot into draft contention after the 2019 All Stars Futures game on Grand Final Day when he booted three goals from 14 disposals to be one of the best afield.
He played his footy in 2020 in the Sydney Premier League for Pennant Hills. Pennant Hills is the junior club of former Sydney Swans captains Jarrad McVeigh and Kieren Jack.
A NAB AFL Rising Star nominee will be named following each round of football in the 2021 Toyota AFL Premiership season.
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 2021 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2021 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal, along with $20,000 from NAB and a dedicated private banker.
NAB continues to support footballers by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players.
Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $900,000 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
2021 Weekly Selection Panel: Kevin Sheehan (Chairman) Brad Johnson Chris Johnson Brad Scott Daisy Pearce (new 2021) Jude Bolton (new 2021).
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.
