Essendon's Andrew McGrath has won the 2017 AFL Rising Star award.
The number one pick by the Bombers in the 2016 AFL draft played 20 matches in his debut season, and reinforced his strong claim to the award with a great game against the ladder-leading Crows in round 21, when he had 25 possessions and kept Eddie Betts goal-less.
He polled 51 votes to win the award, ahead of Hawthorn's Ryan Burton (41) and Port Adelaide's Sam Powell-Pepper (35).
Last year's winner, Sydney Swans defender Callum Mills, was on hand to present the award.
Previous winners include the likes of Collingwood's Nathan Buckley, West Coast's Ben Cousins, Sydney's Adam Goodes, recently-retired stars St Kilda's Nick Riewoldt and Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell.
More to come.
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