SYDNEY young gun Zippy Fish has capped off a brilliant debut season by being named the 2025 Telstra AFLW Rising Star.
The 19-year-old received the maximum 50 votes to win ahead of Carlton's Poppy Scholz and West Coast's Lucia Painter (23 votes each).
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With a flashy name but a cool, calm and collected nature, Fish let her skills do the talking in her first year, averaging 21.2 disposals, 3.3 tackles, 5.9 intercept possessions and kicking four goals.
The No.5 draft pick immediately put the competition on notice after amassing 26 touches in her first game in round one, equalling the record for the most disposals in an AFLW debut.
However, she had to wait another week for her Rising Star nod, not receiving her nomination until round two after Painter kicked three goals on debut in round one.
Fish's second-round performance was equally, if not more impressive than her first outing, finishing the match with 27 disposals, eight intercept possessions and 565m gained in the Swans' win over Gold Coast.
The explosive midfielder remained impressively consistent throughout the season, playing in all 12 possible matches.
The young gun can now add her Rising Star award to the honour of being named in the 2025 All-Australian squad, while she also made the AFLPA's 22 under 22 team alongside fellow Swan Montana Ham.
The winner of the 2025 Telstra AFLW Rising Star is determined by members of the All-Australian selection panel, who each award votes in a 5-4-3-2-1 format.
To be eligible, players must be under the age of 21 on December 31 and cannot have been previously nominated for the award, unless they have played 10 games or less at the start of the season.
2025 Telstra AFLW Rising Star voting
50 votes: Zippy Fish (Sydney)
23 votes: Poppy Scholz (Carlton)
23 votes: Lucia Painter (West Coast)
19 votes: Havana Harris (Gold Coast)
15 votes: Sophie McKay (Carlton)
