Rising Star - 2016

[EasternWest]

He has great hands.

Anyway, Weitering got the nod this week.

[bornadog]

Anyway, Weitering got the nod this week.

Do you think if we won Caleb would have got it or Weitering just played a better game? I didn't see the Carlton match.

[jeemak]

Do you think if we won Caleb would have got it or Weitering just played a better game? I didn't see the Carlton match.

I don't think much of that matters when it comes to Rising Star nominations.

Weitering has looked magnificent over the past few weeks and early in the season things often fall the way of young players that have made an impact early over a couple of games, and if I was to by cynical they bank nominations for players they know will be consistent over the course of the year. Caleb falls into the latter for mine.

[Happy Days]

Do you think if we won Caleb would have got it or Weitering just played a better game? I didn't see the Carlton match.

Forget the Rising Star, Weitering is looking like a show for All Australian honours.

[Ozza]

Weitering couldn't have been much more impressive so far.

Young kid playing a tough position - and already looks to be the best tall player on their list.

Hopefully he has his first down week, this week.

[Mantis]

Weitering couldn't have been much more impressive so far.

Young kid playing a tough position - and already looks to be the best tall player on their list.

Hopefully he has his first down week, this week.

I didn't see much of the game v GC, but who did he play on?

[Ozza]

I didn't see much of the game v GC, but who did he play on?

From what I saw, I think he had a number of opponents. Rowe and Jamison appeared to be on Lynch and Day - and Weitering picking up the '3rd talls' rotating through the fwd line. I'm sure he'll end up playing on key forwards, but on the weekend he was a bit of a Dustin Fletcher type role.

[Hotdog60]

Tiny but mighty Dog taught to be a 'smart runner'

BEING taught to be a "smart runner" has made all the difference in Western Bulldogs midfielder Caleb Daniel's eye-popping form to begin 2016.

Already blessed with outstanding endurance, the 19-year-old said his work with Bulldogs assistant coaches Joel Corey and Daniel Giansiracusa had made him a much shrewder footballer.

Daniel's 23 disposal-effort against Carlton on Saturday night led to him being adjudged the round four nomination for the NAB AFL Rising Star award.

"When you're younger you're all about running wherever the footy goes and Joel talks about smart running patterns and the way you can influence the game and save your legs by being a smarter runner, and that's helped me out a lot," Daniel told AFL.com.au.

"Gia was one of the best leading forwards in the competition when he was up and going and he's passed a lot of those tips across to me."

Daniel's hot start to the year, in which he has averaged 22.7 disposals per game, has not gone unnoticed by the wider football public.

He took great lessons from his match-up against Hawthorn's Sam Mitchell a fortnight ago, and he has become an instant fan favourite on the back of his gutsy and creative play.

The fact that he is the only existing player to don a helmet adds to the youngster's mystique.

LINK

[Flamethrower]

Well done Caleb!

[LostDoggy]

Congrats Mighty Mouse.

[Remi Moses]

Well deserved ! What a gift, and thanks Mick

[boydogs]

Wasn't outstanding this week but was the week before, well deserved

[bornadog]

Fantastic, well done Caleb.

[ratsmac]

Nice!
Well done Caleb.

[Greystache]

Well deserved. He should be a real chance to win it.