THE WESTERN Bulldogs have scored their fifth NAB AFL Women's Rising Star nomination for the season, with defender Naomi Ferres receiving the final nod along with Adelaide's Anne Hatchard.
Ferres joins Libby Birch and Bonnie Toogood (round two) and Monique Conti and Aisling Utri (round four) as the five Bulldogs up for the end of season honour.
The 20-year-old was selected third in the 2017 NAB AFLW Rookie Draft after developing with the VU Western Spurs in the VFLW competition over the past two years.
She was upgraded from the rookie list before the start of the 2018 season and has played every game this year.
Ferres had seven disposals, took three marks and had four rebound 50s in the Bulldogs' win against the Demons on Saturday night. She has proven to be a solid ball-user from half-back.
Hatchard, also 20, had a slow start to her second season, missing three games before returning and finding consistency in the last three matches.
The versatile key position player lined up in the forward line in Adelaide's loss to Collingwood on Sunday afternoon, finishing with seven disposals, two tackles and a goal. She has maintained a disposal efficiency rate above 80 per cent across the season.
Recruited from Morphettville Park in the SAWFL with pick 87 in the 2016 NAB AFLW Draft, Hatchard played seven of eight games last year, culminating with the Grand Final win.
Hatchard is another cross-code athlete to have excelled in women's football, having played for Adelaide Lightning in the Women's National Basketball League in the 2016/2017 season.
Players qualify for the Rising Star if they were 21 years old or younger on January 1, 2018, and have not previously been nominated.
NAB AFLW Rising Star nominees for 2018
- Chloe Molloy (Collingwood)
- Rebecca Beeson (Greater Western Sydney)
- Bonnie Toogood (Western Bulldogs)
- Libby Birch (Western Bulldogs)
- Sophie Conway (Brisbane Lions)
- Emily McGuire (Fremantle)
- Monique Conti (Western Bulldogs)
- Aisling Utri (Western Bulldogs)
- Eloise Jones (Adelaide)
- Breann Moody (Carlton)
- Sarah Allan (Adelaide)
- Tahlia Randall (Brisbane Lions)
- Naomi Ferres (Western Bulldogs)
- Anne Hatchard (Adelaide)
