Fremantle livewire Murphy Reid’s stellar rookie season has been rewarded, crowned the 2025 Rising Star award on Brownlow Medal night.
Reid polled 48 votes to surge clear of fancied contenders Daniel Curtin (35 votes) and Levi Ashcroft (26), with Harvey Langford and Connor O’Sullivan rounding out the top five.
Sandringham Dragons product Reid played in all 24 Fremantle games this season, averaging 14.5 disposals, a goal a game and 3.2 inside-50s, after being drafted no.17 overall last November.
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The 19-year-old’s league debut was a day to remember, slotting four goals against the Cats in Geelong — with all four majors incredibly coming in the space of four minutes.
Reid also booted four goals against Port Adelaide in the Round 11 win, and he had a career-best 23 disposals and one goal in the club’s Round 20 win over West Coast.
Despite playing the sometimes-undervalued small forward role with plenty of ball-winning stars around him, Reid eclipsed 18 disposals on five occasions this year; flashing an ability to play up around the ball in future years.
Reid moved from his home state of Victoria to Western Australia just days after being drafted — a switch he called “definitely interesting” as he accepted the Rising Star award on Monday night.
“It all happened pretty quick. You sort of get two days to wrap your head around it, and you’re off straight away,” Reid told Channel Seven.
“I was very grateful to be drafted to such a successful club, and they really wrapped their arms around me and my family and made it so easy.”
And quizzed on that magical AFL debut, a modest Reid said he was “pretty lucky”.
“We weren’t going too great (that day against the Cats), so we sort of had a little hot patch in that game and then fell away and lost by a fair bit … it was definitely a highlight of my year.”
He added at the end of his speech: “It’s an honour to win the award, with such a stacked group of boys who played this year, so congratulations to all the boys who played this year.”
Intriguingly, only one player outside of the top five actually polled votes — emerging Essendon rebounder Archie Roberts — illustrating just how narrow this year’s race was.
AFL RISING STAR 2025 LEADERBOARD
1. Murphy Reid (Fremantle) — 48 votes
2. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows) — 35 votes
3. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions) — 26 votes
4. Harvey Langford (Melbourne) — 20 votes
5. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong) — 15 votes
6. Archie Roberts (Essendon) — 6 votes
EVERY JUDGE’S VOTING
Andrew Dillon (chair)
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
3. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
2. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
1. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
Laura Kane
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
3. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
2. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
1. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
Kane Cornes
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
3. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
2. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
1. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
Eddie Betts
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
3. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
2. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
1. Archie Roberts (Essendon)
Nathan Buckley
5. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
4. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
3. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
2. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
1. Archie Roberts (Essendon)
Abbey Holmes
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
3. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
2. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
1. Archie Roberts (Essendon)
Jude Bolton
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
3. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
2. Archie Roberts (Essendon)
1. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
Glen Jakovich
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
3. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
2. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
1. Archie Roberts (Essendon)
Matthew Pavlich
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
3. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
2. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)
1. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
Kevin Sheehan
5. Murphy Reid (Fremantle)
4. Harvey Langford (Melbourne)
3. Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions)
2. Daniel Curtin (Adelaide Crows)
1. Connor O’Sullivan (Geelong Cats)