Danyle Pearce has done it! He’s the best young player in the AFL after winning the NAB AFL Rising Star.
Pearce received the maximum five votes from eight of the nine judges, making him a clear-cut winner.
Pearce was crowned the cream of the young players in the game at a special function at the Crown Palladium in Melbourne on Wednesday afternoon.
The award is considered one of the highest individual honours in football and past winners include Nathan Buckley, Ben Cousins, Nick Riewoldt, Sam Mitchell, Byron Pickett and the Power’s own Michael Wilson.
Pearce played all 22 games in 2006 but it was the way he played them that made him such an outstanding prospect for the award that is considered one of the highest individual honours in the game.
“Danyle plays in a way that excites not just Port Adelaide supporters but football fans in general. He runs hard, he carries the ball, he’s fast, he’s agile, he can tackle, he can win clearances, he kicks the ball inside-50 and kicks goals. He can do everything you want from a player and is someone young players can look at and say, ‘gee he’s only little and he’s only skinny’. It just says that AFL football is for everyone,” Power coach Mark Williams said.
Pearce qualified for the NAB Rising Star because he had played less than ten AFL games prior to 2006 and was under 21 years old.
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