Rising star, rising farce

In the 18 year history of the AFL’s Rising Star Award there’s been just three winners who’ve ranked among the top two rookies for both disposals and tackling throughout the course of a season; Paul Hasleby in 2000, Sam Mitchell in 2003, Joel Selwood in 2007.

Those three were not only deemed the competition's best first year player in their respective seasons, but demonstrated an incredible ability to both gain possession and to do everything in their power to get it back. In short, the perfect combination of midfield attack and defence.

In season 2011 the Bulldogs’ Tom Liberatore is only the fourth rookie in nearly twenty years to qualify for this elite category. He’s ranked second amongst rookie players for possessions (20) and second amongst rookies for tackles (6). He’s first among his peers for average Supercoach score (91), first for goals assists (5) and is ranked in the league's top 10 for driving the ball inside his team’s forward 50 arc (18).

Yet after eight completed rounds of football Libba’s still waiting on a call to even be nominated for the prestigious award, let only be installed as favourite.

Of the eight players to have so far received nominations only Essendon's Dyson Heppell is among his own club's top ten for both disposals and tackles. At the Bulldogs there’s just seven players averaging more disposals than Liberatore, while not one has performed better where tackling is concerned.

Consider for a moment the league's most recent Rising Star nominee, Hawthorn’s Shane Savage. A good young player to be sure, but one who at the same time is ranked just 17th amongst first year players for possessions and just 25th for tackles. His numbers paint a similar picture when put into the context of his own club’s playing list. An excellent contributer,yes. An indisputably integral part of the Hawks? Hardly.

In Liberatore’s case to have a player come in and be so effective, so immediately has been remarkable. Add to that the reputation of entering the competition as an 18 year old son of a former Brownlow Medallist, coupled with the intense competition for a place in the Bulldog midfield, and his achievements are even more impressive.

To still be waiting for a Rising Star nomination after two months of football is truly scandalous.

Tom Liberatore, like his father, isn’t the type who seems concerned by how the external football world perceives him but rather more so by how his on-field efforts are measured by his teammates and coaching staff. However like any professional doing a damn good job, a little industry appreciation wouldn’t be such a bad thing.

It really is about time he received some.