RILEY BONNER is the 31st member of Port Adelaide’s proud Rising Star family, with his Round 1 nomination for the 2018 award continuing the club’s proud history with the award.
It is a history that began even before Port joined the AFL, with former Port Adelaide SANFL star Nathan Buckley winning the first Rising Star in his introduction to the AFL playing with the Brisbane Bears in 1993.
Port’s Michael Wilson won it in 1997 in the club’s first year in the AFL, when he polled 27 votes to beat Essendon’s Blake Caracella (15) and Sydney’s Stefan Carey (15), while Danyle Pearce took overall honors in 2006 with 43 votes, beating Richmond’s Andrew Raines (33) and Collingwood’s Heath Shaw (32).
Port’s Nick Stevens was runner-up in 1998 to North Melbourne’s Byron Pickett, who later joined the Power and won the Norm Smith Medal in the 2004 grand final, while three Port players have finished 3rd overall – Warren Tredrea behind Pickett and Stevens in 1998, Ollie Wines behind Gold Coast’s Jaeger O’Meara and Adelaide’s Brad Crouch in 2013, and Sam Powell-Pepper behind Essendon’s Andrew McGrath and Hawthorn’s Ryan Burton in 2017.
Other Port players to poll in end-of-season voting have been Shaun Burgoyne (4th in 2002), Justin Westhoff (4th in 2007), Alipate Carlile (8th in 2008), Jarman Impey (equal 9th in 2014) and Brendon Lade (10th in 1997).
Only two clubs have won more overall Rising Star awards than Port – Brisbane
Essendon, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Melbourne and St Kilda have each won the award twice, and Adelaide, Geelong, Gold Coast, North Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast once. Carlton, Collingwood, GWS and Western Bulldogs have never won it.
Port’s tally of 31 nominations sees the club ranked 9th overall behind Brisbane (42), Melbourne (40), Collingwood (36), Hawthorn (36), West Coast (36), Richmond (35), Western Bulldogs (35) and Carlton (33).
Port Adelaide Rising Star Nominations | ||
Player | ||
1997 | 3 | Bowen Lockwood |
| 4 | Michael Wilson |
| 7 | Brendon Lade |
| 21 | Nathan Eagleton |
1998 | 7 | Warren Tredrea |
| 9 | Nick Stevens |
| 13 | Stuart Dew |
1999 | 19 | Matthew Bode |
2000 | 10 | Chad Cornes |
| 22 | Josh Carr |
2001 | 17 | Brent Guerra |
2002 | 13 | Shaun Burgoyne |
2004 | 11 | Brett Ebert |
2006 | 3 | Danyle Pearce |
| 9 | Brad Symes |
| 11 | Jacob Surjan |
| 16 | Troy Chaplin |
2007 | 12 | Robbie Gray |
| 5 | Justin Westhoff |
| 19 | Travis Boak |
2008 | 22 | Alipate Carlile |
2010 | 20 | Jackson Trengove |
2011 | 4 | Jasper Pittard |
2012 | 22 | Chad Wingard |
2013 | 1 | Ollie Wines |
| 13 | Jake Neade |
2014 | 8 | Jarman Impey |
2016 | 14 | Darcy Byrne-Jones |
2017 | 1 | Sam Powell-Pepper |
| 21 | Dan Houston |
2018 | 1 | Riley Bonner |
Port Adelaide - Final Rising Star Placings | ||
Year | Placing | Player |
1997 | 1st | Michael Wilson |
| 10th | Brendon Lade |
1998 | 2nd | Nick Stevens |
| 3rd | Warren Tredrea |
2002 | 4th | Shaun Burgoyne |
2006 | 1st | Danyle Pearce |
2007 | 4th | Justin Westhoff |
2008 | 8th | Alipate Carlile |
2013 | 3rd | Ollie Wines |
2014 | T9th | Jarman Impey |
2017 | 3rd | Sam Powell-Pepper |
More on portadelaidefc.com.au...
