Former Oakleigh Chargers forward Nick Larkey was nominated for the NAB AFL Rising Star award following a five-goal haul for North Melbourne in Round 16.

The 198cm 21-year-old booted his five majors from 11 disposals, eight contested possessions and five marks in the Kangaroos’ 39-point victory over St Kilda at Blundstone Arena on Sunday.

 

Larkey was selected by North Melbourne with pick no.73 at the 2016 NAB AFL Draft after kicking 23 goals in 17 games for Oakleigh in 2015-16. He has since scored 69 majors in 30 Hard Yakka / Totally Workwear VFL matches for the Kangaroos’ affiliate teams, including 41 in 17 games last year to earn the ‘Frosty’ Miller Medal for the competition’s leading goalkicker.

The Kew Comets and Hawthorn Citizens (Yarra Junior FL) product played two AFL games in his debut 2017 season before returning to North Melbourne’s senior line-up in Round 6 this year and kicking 17 goals in 10 matches since.

He joins Geelong’s Charlie Constable (ex-Sandringham Dragons), Carlton’s Sam Walsh (Geelong Falcons), West Coast’s Jack Petruccelle (Northern Knights), Port Adelaide’s Xavier Duursma (Gippsland Power), Geelong’s Gryan Miers (Geelong Falcons), Western Bulldogs’ Bailey Smith (Sandringham Dragons) and Essendon’s Dylan Clarke (Eastern Ranges) as former Victorian Under-18 Boys players to be nominated for the AFL Rising Star award in 2019.