Young Bomber Dylan Clarke has been named the Round 13 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
In just his third AFL game, the 20-year-old proved himself to be a prolific ball-winner in Essendon's 19-point win over Hawthorn at Marvel Stadium on Friday night.
Opposed to Hawthorn star Jaeger O'Meara, Clarke finished the game with an equal career-high 23 disposals (12 contested possessions) at 83 per cent efficiency, while also recording four intercept possessions.
His blanketing job on O'Meara followed a stellar performance on Patrick Cripps, keeping the Carlton star to just 11 disposals in the Bombers' round 11 win - Clarke's first game of the season.
The Bombers' No.37 began his football career with the Rowville Hawks before joining the Eastern Ranges, captaining the side in 2016 and representing Vic Metro in the 2016 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships.
His endurance, skill around stoppages and football knowledge earned Clarke a place in the 2016 NAB AFL Under-18 All-Australian team with his efforts rewarded in the draft that year, selected by Essendon with its 63rd selection.
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 2019 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2019 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.
