FOUR in 16.

After a run of six seasons between 2018-2023 where Carlton players received Rising Star nominations, the Blues have now had four in the last 16 games, after Jagga Smith joined Cooper Lord, Ashton Moir and Matthew Carroll in recent times.

It’s been quite the run since May 2025, which of course also saw Sophie McKay and Poppy Scholz receive nominations in the AFLW competition.

It provided the perfect chance for a trip down memory lane, looking back at Carlton’s current day AFL players receiving Rising Star nominations.

Patrick Cripps
Round 4, 2015

Ultimately finishing second in the award, it didn’t take Patrick Cripps long in his second season to be recognised as one of the competition’s brightest young prospects in 2015. In a year where he went onto become one of the youngest John Nicholls Medallists in Carlton history, it was his performance in New Zealand which well and truly turned heads, putting together a commanding performance that secured a Carlton win. Cripps’ final stat line read 33 disposals, 23 contested possessions, 11 tackles and his first career goal.

Jacob Weitering
Round 3, 2016

It was always a matter of when, not if Jacob Weitering would receive a Rising Star nomination, particularly after the No.1 pick enjoyed a very bright start to life in Navy Blue. That came in Round 3 of 2016, where - still to this day, after over 200 AFL games - Weitering posted a career-best 26 disposals in a defeat to Gold Coast. Weitering ultimately finished third in the Rising Star award come year’s end.

Sam Walsh
Round 4, 2019

On the way to becoming Carlton’s first ever AFL Rising Star (six months after Maddy Prespakis was crowned the AFLW Rising Star), Sam Walsh’s start to life in the AFL was exceptional, going on to break the record for most disposals in a debut season. Following in the footsteps of Weitering, Walsh’s Rising Star nomination also came on the Gold Coast in Round 4, where he produced 28 disposals and a goal.

Ollie Hollands
Round 21, 2023

As the Blues embarked on an unforgettable charge to September, Ollie Hollands stepped up in one of the Blues’ most crucial wins of that period. On a day where the Blues trailed by 22 points at half time to St Kilda, Carlton came out energised in the second half to record a comeback win, with Hollands typically running all day. Amassing 20 disposals on the wing, Hollands won some crucial moments and was duly recognised with a Rising Star nomination in Round 21.

Cooper Lord
Round 10, 2025

After a run which saw four Blues receive Rising Star nominations across six seasons, Cooper Lord kickstarted a run of four nominations in 16 weeks with his showing against Sydney in Round 10. Despite the team not getting the win at the SCG, Lord was prolific on the wing, contributing 19 disposals in a season which was well and truly his breakout year in Navy Blue.

Ashton Moir
Round 19, 2025

Ashton Moir grew up dreaming of MCG football, and in his third game at the venue, the second-year Blue stepped up with a crucial performance to help get his team over the line. In an eight-point win over Melbourne, Moir was a dynamic target forward of the ball, finishing with four goals on a night where majors were hard to come by. Almost just as impressive that night was Matthew Carroll, but Moir deservedly got the nod for the weekend.

Matthew Carroll
Round 24, 2025

The young defender had to wait a little bit longer for his nomination, which came in the final round of the season against Essendon. It was a Thursday night game where Carroll was ultimately rewarded for both the individual performance and his consistency in the second half of the season, playing 17 games for the year after initially being delisted by the Blues at the end of 2024. Given a fixture quirk, Carroll had to wait a whole seven days after the game to receive his Rising Star nod.

Jagga Smith
Round 1, 2026

Jagga Smith continued the streak of Rising Star nominations for the Blues, and it’s probably fair enough to suggest that the selectors had his name written down as early as quarter time in the Round 1 clash with Richmond. Collecting 15 of his 32 disposals for the night in the first quarter alone, Smith made up for lost time in his first game at the MCG, helping steer the Blues to a four-point win over the Tigers in what was also his maiden AFL win.

Different clubs

While the Blues currently have eight players who have received Rising Star nominations in Navy Blue, there’s just as many who have received them at other clubs, starting with Zac Williams in Round 19, 2013 while at the Giants. Most notably, the two best mates who arrived at Carlton in the 2025 off-season clearly had happy memories of playing against the Blues, as Will Hayward (Round 23, 2017) and Ollie Florent (Round 11, 2018) both received their nominations against Carlton while at Sydney. Three players - Adam Saad, Ben Ainsworth and Elijah Hollands - received theirs while representing Gold Coast, plus Blake Acres (St Kilda, 2016) and Adam Cerra (2018) were also acknowledged.