Bunbury footballer Connor Blakely was announced as the Round 11 NAB AFL Rising Star nominee after a blistering game for Fremantle against Essendon in Perth on Saturday night.
Blakely, 20, had 25 touches, five marks and seven tackles in Fremantle’s first win of the season.
The tall midfielder played 17 games in the WAFL for Peel Thunder in 2015 before making his AFL debut in Round 23 against Port Adelaide.
He returned to the senior side in round six and has played six matches this year averaging 18 possessions.
Fremantle coach Ross Lyon said Blakely is playing well with the more experienced midfielders.
“We are really pleased with the way Connor is progressing and how he is adapting to the intensity of the game at this level,” Lyon said.
“His nomination is an acknowledgement of the effort, commitment and desire that have been evident in the games he has played so far.
“Connor is one of several of our young players Fremantle members and supporters can look forward to seeing develop and improve throughout the season.”
Blakely played with the Bunbury Bulldogs Junior Football Club and Swan Districts before joining Fremantle as selection 34 in the 2014 NAB AFL Draft.
He represented Western Australia in the 2014 NAB AFL Under-18 Championships and was named an All-Australian at the end of the carnival.
Blakely is the first Fremantle player to be nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star since Matt Taberner in Round 22 2014.
The young star revealed on Tuesday, a half-time pep talk from injured Fremantle superstar Nat Fyfe was the pick-me-up midfielder he needed during Saturday’s clash.
Blakely had touched the ball just four times in the opening half against the Bombers, the equal-lowest of any player on the field.
"There's been two home games in a row now where he's (Fyfe) come into the rooms at half-time and he's given me some really good advice," Blakely told AFL.com.au.
"I hadn't really had that much of an influence on the game but he spoke about how my tackling pressure (four tackles) had been really good and I was right there at the contest yet the ball hadn't really bounced my way.
"Fyfey said, 'Don't be down about that because I know you'll respond.'"
