A stellar defensive effort on James Hird has secured Carlton’s Trent Sporn the National AFL Rising Star nomination for round three.
The 20-year old lined up on Hird in Carlton’s win over the Bombers on Friday night and restricted the Essendon captain to just a solitary goal.
Sporn, the 11th selection in the 2000 national draft, arrived at Carlton from SANFL club North Adelaide.
After eight matches in 2002, Sporn has played every game so far this year, with coach Denis Pagan using him in a variety of roles.
In defence on Friday night, Sporn collected 13 possessions and took a crucial mark late in the game to deny the Bombers.
Sporn was also one of Carlton’s better players when they were well beaten by Sydney in the opening match of the season.
Originally from Murrayville in country Victoria, he graduated to the SANFL from the National AFL Pathway Program and represented South Australia in the 2000 National AFL under-18 Championships.
