It's that time of year when things start to ramp up. The 2024 AFL season is getting closer and closer, and with that, plenty of eyes will be on the new recruits in the AFL.

Arguably the most talked about draftee in years, every AFL fan is eagerly awaiting Harley Reid's debut. The young star is already a household name and fans cannot wait.

To recognise these new recruits, the Rising Star Award will be presented to the best young player in the 2024 season. With that being said, a player doesn't need to be in their first year of football. The player must simply be 21 years of age or under as of January 1 this year and have played a maximum of ten senior AFL games prior to the new season's commencement.

In this list of nine possible winners, four are brand-new AFL recruits, whilst the other five have been in the competition for at least a year.

Note: The players listed are in no particular order, simply the nine potential winners we've selected.
READ: FULL LIST OF 2024 RISING STAR ELIGIBLE PLAYERS

2. Zane Duursma

The fourth pick in the 2023 draft, Zane Duursma has the potential to take home the prestigious Rising Star.

Standing at 189cm tall and extremely athletic, the AFL-ready Duursma should explode onto the scene.

With older brother Xavier and older sister Yasmin already playing at the highest level, the younger sibling could have a stellar first season and add to the highly successful family.

A goalscoring midfielder, Duursma adds yet another youthful dynamic to the ever-rebuilding Roos.