HARRY Sheezel had never played in defence before his first game in round one this year, when he had the most disposals in a VFL/AFL debut for nearly 40 years.

In the mould of Nick Daicos the year before, Sheezel was thrown to half-back by North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson in a bid to use his foot skills, smarts, temperament and class to set up the Roos.

It is a decision that should see Sheezel become North's first winner of the Rising Star in 25 years when votes are cast next Wednesday night at the AFL Awards.

The 18-year-old is a part of the top crop of Rising Star contenders, alongside St Kilda's Mitchito Owens and Brisbane's Will Ashcroft, while Fremantle's Jye Amiss should also attract votes.

But it is Sheezel's extraordinary debut season that should see him become the first Roo since Byron Pickett in 1998 to claim the award.

Numbers are only a part of any player's story, but they match up nicely for Sheezel's Rising Star stocks.

Champion Data shows this season he rates as elite for disposals, contested possessions, uncontested possessions and pressure points as a defender. He's above average for metres gained and player ratings.

Relative rating measures a player's performance against the expectation of a player in his position and age, with Sheezel's relative rating at 54 per cent in the positive – making his the best relative rating of any player aged under 20 this season.

Lions midfielder Ashcroft is 34 per cent up on the expectations as a midfielder across his 18 games, while Hawthorn's Josh Weddle is ranked second at 37 per cent.

Ashcroft's absence over the last six weeks of the season hurt his Rising Star stocks but didn't damage his impact in the year before that, when he ranked second for Rising Star nominees for AFL Player Ratings averages at 11.2.

Topping that list was Owens, who has been deployed in a number of different positions in a phenomenal breakout campaign for the Saints and ranked first at 11.5 ratings points. Sheezel was third with 10.1. It is a star trio who will be dominant over the next era.

All rate ahead of the past five Rising Star winners in their respective seasons, with Collingwood superstar Daicos last year ranking at 9.9 in AFL player ratings in his brilliant debut year.

Sheezel's equal career-best tally of 37 disposals against Richmond last weekend also saw him jump Daicos in the most disposals in a debut season (he's now up to 593 with a game to go).

The Roos' No.3 pick at last year's draft has spent some time in the midfield and forward line but has been used as a defender for more than 80 per cent of his campaign this year, where his style, rebound, creativity, vision and kicking skills have been a constant in a North Melbourne backline regularly under fire.

Had Sheezel started his career as a half-forward, it would have been a more difficult transition in a North Melbourne side that has averaged 10 goals a game all season.

It's why the key forward performances of second-year pair Amiss (38 goals) and Owens (25 goals) should not be underestimated. But when assessing the Rising Star market and the totality of the season, it has to be Harry.

*Relative rating measures a player's performance against the expectation of a player in his position and age. A player in the positive is outperforming expectation.