After a shoulder injury curtailed his 2020 season, Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell has opened $1.40 favourite at TAB to be crowned the 2021 AFL Rising Star after last night’s draft.
The current price of $1.40 for Rowell is the shortest opening price for any player to win the Rising Star since TAB offered betting on the award.
Rowell opened $3 for the 2020 Rising Star, firmed to $1.30 before Round 3, was $1.10 before Round 4 and was $1.01 before suffering his season-ending right shoulder injury against Geelong in Round 5 at GMHBA Stadium.
The accomplished youngster is eligible for the 2021 Rising Star as he will be aged 20 or under on January 1 (Rowell turns 20 on July 1 next year) and has played ten or fewer AFL games.
Tom Green, who played six games for GWS in 2020, is a $9 chance at TAB along with the No.1 draft pick Jamarra Ugle-Hagan from the Western Bulldogs after they matched Adelaide’s bid.
The Crows selected local Riley Thilthorpe with the No.2 pick and he is an $11 hope ahead of No.3 pick Will Phillips (North Melbourne) and No.5 pick Braeden Campbell (Sydney) who are both $15 chances.
2021 Rising Star
$1.40 Matt Rowell (GC)
$9 Tom Green (GWS)
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (WB)
$11 Riley Thilthorpe (ADE)
$15 Braeden Campbell (SYD)
Will Phillips (NM)
$17 Elijah Hollands (GC)
Lachlan Sholl (ADE)
$21 Hayden Young (FRE)
$26 Luke Jackson (MEL)
Dylan Stephens (SYD)
$34 Tanner Bruhn (GWS)
Denver Grainger-Barras (HAW)
Logan McDonald (SYD)
$41+ Others Quoted
