WHAT a year. 

While he was the favourite for the NAB AFL Rising Star award heading into the season, few could have expected Sam Walsh to produce the campaign that he did in his debut year. 

With universal praise and just about every award to go with it, here are the numbers which made Walsh’s season.

1 — The No.1 pick in last year’s draft. The No.1 young player in the competition. The No.1 NAB AFL Rising Star at Carlton. 

Walsh made Navy Blue history when he became the first Blue to win the NAB AFL Rising Star since its inception in 1993. 

It was to be fourth time lucky for Carlton, after Scott Camporeale (1995), Marc Murphy (2006) and Patrick Cripps (2015) missed out on the award. 

2 — But Walsh isn’t Carlton’s first Rising Star. 

Carlton completed the set on Friday, with Walsh joining Madison Prespakis as the best young players of their respective competitions. 

Prespakis was named the 2019 NAB AFLW Rising Star back in April in a season which also saw her win the Club best and fairest award. 

22 — The amount of games which the 19-year-old played in his debut season. 

Walsh was one of just three players who featured in every game for Carlton this year, joining veteran Ed Curnow and Sam Petrevski-Seton. 

In his 22 games, Walsh dropped below the 20-disposal mark only three times. It was a season underlined by consistency. 

32 — Patrick Cripps was the inspiration behind Carlton’s come-from-behind victory against Brisbane in Round 12. 

However, as coined on commentary, Walsh was the Robin to Cripps’ Batman. 

With 32 disposals, six clearances and six coaches’ votes to go with it, the manner in which Walsh rose to the occasion against a team which would finish in second place belied his young age.

44 — It didn’t take long for Walsh to get immersed at AFL level. 

Walsh collected his first disposal within 44 seconds of the Round 1 season opener at the MCG in front of 85,016 people. 

His effective kick to Ed Curnow in the middle of the ground was the first in a history-making season for the youngster. 

400 — The amount of votes that Walsh received in the AFLPA Best First Year Player, 

It was a landslide victory for Walsh on Thursday night, polling 288 more votes than the next best player (Connor Rozee with 112).

To go with his NAB AFL Rising Star, Walsh also polled the most votes in respective rewards from both coaches (AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award) and players. 

554 — It’s a stat which has been just about everywhere since the conclusion of the season — but it’s worthy of all the attention. 

Surpassing Toby Greene’s tally in 2012, Walsh broke the record for most disposals in a debut year since the stat was first recorded in 1999.

On 13 occasions, Walsh collected 25 disposals or more this year: he finished second at the Club for disposals, behind only Patrick Cripps. 

2019 — The year that will go down as the one where Sam Walsh announced himself to the competition.

It didn’t take him long. 

Going down as one of the best debut years in the history of the game, there’s still plenty more for Walsh to achieve.