Sam Murray gains Round 3 Rising Star nomination
Image courtesy of The Border Mail.
Sam Murray from the Collingwood Football Club is the Round Three NAB AFL Rising Star nominee.
Earning a call up to Collingwood’s senior side after a strong pre-season, Murray has proven to be a dangerous ball magnet averaging 20 possessions across his three games with Collingwood and gathering 21 disposals with an 81 per cent disposal efficiency in his sides’ 24-point win over Carlton at the MCG.
A hard-running defender, Murray joined Collingwood during the October trade period at the end of the 2017 season after spending the past two seasons on Sydney’s rookie list.
Formerly of the Henty Football Club Swampies 2014 Premiership side, Murray was overlooked for a place in the Murray Bushrangers TAC Cup squad for 2015. Instead he joined the Wodonga Raiders, finishing third in the Ovens and Murray Football League’s Morris Medal at the age of 18.
Murray excelled following a move to the backline in 2017 displaying excellent kicking skills, earning him a place in the 2017 NEAFL Team of the Year after averaging 22 possessions, six score involvements, six intercept possessions and 3.5 inside 50s.
Following each round of the Home and Away season, a panel of judges select a NAB AFL Rising Star nominee. At the completion of the season, one of these nominees will be chosen as the 2018 NAB AFL Rising Star.
The 2018 NAB AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal, a $20,000 personal investment folio and a dedicated personal banker, courtesy of NAB.
NAB continues to support footballers by recognising the junior clubs that helped foster the early careers of the nominated players. Murray’s junior club, Wodonga Raiders, which plays in the Ovens and Murray Junior Football League, will receive a NAB Club Recognition Award valued at $2500, comprising financial and practical resources, as a result of his Round Three nomination. Since supporting the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, NAB has donated over $822,500 worth of resources to junior football clubs through this initiative.
The NAB AFL Rising Star is part of the NAB AFL Rising Stars Program, which supports grassroots players and football communities and helps young Australians fulfil their dream of playing in the AFL. The NAB AFL Rising Stars Program comprises the following elements:
- NAB AFL Rising Star
- NAB AFL Draft
- NAB AFL Draft Combine
- NAB AFL Trade Period
- NAB AFL Under-18 Championships
- NAB AFL Academy
- NAB AFL Under-16 Championships
NAB has supported the footy community for over a decade, providing boys and girls with a clear pathway from NAB AFL Auskick through the NAB AFL Rising Stars program all the way to the big time.
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