The Rising Star award has been named the Troy Clarke AFL Cairns Rising Star Award in memory of Troy Clarke, who passed away on October 2013, aged just 44. Troy was the AFL Cairns’ youngest Crathern Medal winner, taking out the honor as a 17 year old in 1986, playing for South Cairns. Troy forged a wonderful career off-field in AFL also, and was instrumental in the growth of AFL in Cairns and across the whole state, as State Development Manager at AFL Queensland.

To have been eligible for nomination, players must have been under 24 years of age as at 1st January of the year of nomination and cannot have played more than 9 senior matches in either the AFL Cairns competition or equivalent league prior to the current season. To win the overall award, the player must have played a minimum of 5 senior matches during the current season.

Past Winners: