Brisbane Lions midfielder Deven Robertson has been awarded the Round 15 NAB AFL Rising Star Nomination after another strong midfield performance in the Lions 44-point win over Geelong on Thursday night at the Gabba.
The 19-year-old had 16 disposals, four marks, four tackles, 20 pressure acts and two goal assists against a powerful Geelong midfield.
The second-year midfielder has been a vital cog in the Lions best 22 this season playing 11 games averaging almost 15 disposals, three marks and five tackles.
Robertson was the Lions’ first pick in the 2019 NAB AFL Draft with selection 22 and made his debut against Hawthorn in Round 1, 2020. The big-bodied midfielder captained Western Australia at the 2019 NAB AFL U18 Championships where he averaged over 30 disposals per game. He was awarded the Larke Medal as the best player in Division One of the Championships.
Robertson is the nephew of former West Coast Eagles captain Darren Glass and grew up playing junior football with the Northam Saints in Western Australia.
Against the Cats he began the night running alongside Patrick Dangerfield, before switching to skipper Joel Selwood once 'Danger' drifted forward.
Robertson kept Selwood to a miserly 13 disposals, gathering 16 of his own that included two goal assists.
Coach Chris Fagan said the West Australian bull had "a big heart and he never stops trying. That's why his teammates love him".
A sign of the emerging 'bull' status came in the second quarter, when a rampaging Esava Ratugolea took off down the wing, only for Robertson to throw his body in the firing line, slowing down the 197cm giant.
After making his debut against Hawthorn in Round 1 last year, Robertson found himself stuck behind the likes of Neale, Zorko, Berry and Lyons.
But with an uncharacteristic injury list in 2021, Robertson has not only found consistent game time in Chris Fagan's best 22, but become a vital cog in the Lions midfield machine.
The second-year midfielder has also found an elite source of mentorship, in the form of Brisbane's Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale.
Once a week, Neale will be out on the training field helping young Robertson up-skill his game.
How to gather ground balls, how to position his body at stoppages, how to handball more efficiently on both sides of his body.
It doesn't stop there. Neale will watch vision with the second-year midfielder, taking him through the good and bad of the previous week's game and analysing upcoming opposition.
With Jarrod Berry making a successful return through the VFL last Friday, it poses a selection headache for Chris Fagan, who now has a number of quality young mids to fit into his 22.
