Harry Sheezel had never played in defence before his first game in Round 1 this year, when he had the most disposals in a VFL/AFL debut for nearly 40 years.

In the mould of Nick Daicos the year before, Sheezel was thrown to half-back by North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson in a bid to use his foot skills, smarts, temperament and class to set up the Roos.

It is a decision that should see Sheezel become North's first winner of the Rising Star in 25 years when votes are cast next Wednesday night at the AFL Awards.

The 18-year-old is a part of the top crop of Rising Star contenders, alongside St Kilda's Mitchito Owens and Brisbane's Will Ashcroft, while Fremantle's Jye Amiss should also attract votes.

But it is Sheezel's extraordinary debut season that should see him become the first Roo since Byron Pickett in 1998 to claim the award.

03:09

Numbers are only a part of any player's story, but they match up nicely for Sheezel's Rising Star stocks.

Champion Data shows this season he rates as elite for disposals, contested possessions, uncontested possessions and pressure points as a defender. He's above average for metres gained and player ratings.

Relative rating measures a player's performance against the expectation of a player in his position and age, with Sheezel's relative rating at 54 per cent in the positive – making his the best relative rating of any player aged under 20 this season.

00:59

Lions midfielder Ashcroft is 34 per cent up on the expectations as a midfielder across his 18 games, while Hawthorn's Josh Weddle is ranked second at 37 per cent.

Ashcroft's absence over the last six weeks of the season hurt his Rising Star stocks but didn't damage his impact in the year before that, when he ranked second for Rising Star nominees for AFL Player Ratings averages at 11.2.

Topping that list was Owens, who has been deployed in a number of different positions in a phenomenal breakout campaign for the Saints and ranked first at 11.5 ratings points. Sheezel was third with 10.1. It is a star trio who will be dominant over the next era.

All rate ahead of the past five Rising Star winners in their respective seasons, with Collingwood superstar Daicos last year ranking at 9.9 in AFL player ratings in his brilliant debut year.

Sheezel's equal career-best tally of 37 disposals against Richmond last weekend also saw him jump Daicos in the most disposals in a debut season (he's now up to 593 with a game to go).

The Roos' No.3 pick at last year's draft has spent some time in the midfield and forward line but has been used as a defender for more than 80 per cent of his campaign this year, where his style, rebound, creativity, vision and kicking skills have been a constant in a North Melbourne backline regularly under fire.

00:48

Had Sheezel started his career as a half-forward, it would have been a more difficult transition in a North Melbourne side that has averaged 10 goals a game all season.

It's why the key forward performances of second-year pair Amiss (38 goals) and Owens (25 goals) should not be underestimated. But when assessing the Rising Star market and the totality of the season, it has to be Harry.

Harry Sheezel 

2023 Ave

Rating

AFL Player Ratings 

10.1

Above Average

Disposals 

27.0

Elite 

Metres Gained 

440.0

Above Average 

Contested Possessions

6.9

Elite

Uncontested Possessions

17.6

Elite 

Pressure Points

42.0

Elite

 

Top 5 Relative Ratings - Players Aged Under 20

Player

Club

Position

Matches 

Relative Rating 

Harry Sheezel

North Melbourne

General defender

22

+54%

Josh Weddle

Hawthorn

General defender

16

+37%

Will Ashcroft

Brisbane Lions

Midfielder

18

+34%

Ryan Maric

West Coast Eagles

Key forward

9

+33%

Bailey Humphrey

Gold Coast Suns

General forward

19

+26%

*Relative rating measures a player's performance against the expectation of a player in his position and age. A player in the positive is outperforming expectation.

 

Top-10 ranked Rising Stars in AFL Player Ratings

Club

Matches 

AFL Player Ratings 

Mitch Owens

St. Kilda 

21

11.5

Will Ashcroft

Brisbane

18

11.2

Harry Sheezel

North Melbourne

22

10.1

George Wardlaw

North Melbourne

8

9.2

Josh Weddle

Hawthorn

16

9.0

Finn Callaghan

GWS

18

8.8

Judd McVee

Melbourne

22

8.7

Darcy Wilmot 

Brisbane

22

8.6

Bailey Humphrey

Gold Coast Suns

19

8.4

 

Rising Star Winner

Season

AFL Player Ratings

Nick Daicos 

2022

9.9

Luke Jackson

2021

8.8

Caleb Serong

2020

8.1

Sam Walsh

2019

9.2

Jaidyn Stephenson

2018

8.5

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