Despite increasing calls to remove the ‘fairest’ component from the Rising Star award following suspensions of favorites Harley Reid and Sam Darcy, AFL boss Laura Kane states the league has no plans to change the eligibility criteria. The Rising Star race was thrown open last weekend when West Coast Eagles’ young gun Reid was ruled ineligible due to a two-match ban for a sling tackle on fellow nominee Darcy Wilson.
Reid’s suspension came shortly after his main rival for the award, Western Bulldogs’ key forward Sam Darcy, was also disqualified following a two-game suspension for a bump on Brayden Maynard. Unlike other sports, the AFL uniquely disqualifies players from end-of-season awards, such as the Rising Star or Brownlow Medal, if they are suspended during the regular season.
Following the disqualification of the two favorites, a heated debate has emerged over whether the rules should be amended to allow suspended first-year players to remain eligible for the Rising Star award. This discussion has intensified due to the rise in suspensions for less severe offenses, such as Reid’s sling tackle on Wilson.
However, during an appearance on Fox Footy’s AFL 360 on Tuesday night, AFL boss Laura Kane emphasized that the ‘fairest’ element is a crucial part of the award and will not be changed. “We feel it is necessary, and I’ve been clear this week that we don’t have an appetite to change the criteria for Rising Star. But I appreciate it’s caused great debate over the past couple of days,” Kane stated.
“Both Reid and Darcy are terrific players with bright futures in our game. Their ineligibility to win the Rising Star underscores the importance of the fairness component to us.”
AFL dismisses calls to tweak eligibility requirements. Speaking on Channel 9’s Sunday Footy Show, Port Adelaide great Kane Cornes advocated for adjusting the ‘fairness’ element of the Rising Star award to consider the seriousness of the offense. “Do we need to remove the fairness element of the Rising Star? Particularly with so many tiggy touchwood suspensions that we wouldn’t have gotten 5-6 years ago,” Cornes asked.
“These two players (Reid and Darcy) are ineligible, which could make the award night seem farcical due to suspensions. Maybe we need a threshold – if you’ve been suspended for four weeks, then that triggers the ineligibility.”
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