Jai Murray, an emerging Gold Coast sports star who chose AFL over rugby league, has become Queensland football’s 36th nomination for the AFL Rising Star Award.
Murray was recognised by the selection panel for 17 possessions, five tackles and five clearances in his third game for the SUNS against Hawthorn at Carrara last Friday night.
He is the third member of the six-man ‘Burleigh Bombers’ contingent at the SUNS to win a Rising Star nomination after Bodhi Uwland and Leo Lombard.
Murray, who has looked very comfortable at the level after his debut in Round 13, has been one of few shining lights in a Gold Coast side clinging desperately to a fading finals chance after they were premiership favourites at Round 3.
Already the 19-year-old midfielder/utility has been a major ‘win’ for the code after he was torn between the football codes in winter growing up.
In the lead-up to his draft last year he said, “I was rugby league first as a kid, from Under 12s to probably Under 14’s. Then I started really getting into my footy. I probably started loving the game and really getting into it in Under 16’s.”
Son of Mike Murray, a one-time world surf ski champion and Coolangatta Gold competitor, he was also an outstanding junior surf lifesaver at North Burleigh, and won a Queensland junior board title.
Murray is the eighth Queenslander to win a Rising Star nomination at the SUNS and joins a Rising Star history which dates back to Round 1 1994, when Cairns junior Che Cockato-Collins was recognised when he had 21 possessions and kicked three goals on debut.
Cockatoo-Collins is one of three Queenslanders nominated on debut. The others were North Melbourne’s Brad Moran in 2006 and Bailey Scott in 2019.
Three players polled Brownlow Medal votes in their nomination game – Will Ashcroft picked up three votes for 31 possessions and a goal in his second game, Lachie Weller two votes for 22 possessions and a career-high four goals in his 15th game, and Nick Riewoldt one vote for 17 possessions.
Zac Smith, too, had a special nomination – he had 20 possessions, two goals, 17 hit-outs and six clearances in QClash #1 at the Gabba in 2011.
There have been two sets of Brisbane nominated – Dayne and Claye Beams, and Will and Levi Ashcroft.
Brisbane (10) and Gold Coast (8) head the Queensland nomination count from North (3), Adelaide, Collingwood, Richmond and StKilda (2), Carlton, Essendon, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Sydney and Western Bulldogs (1).
In order, Queenslanders nominated for what is effectively the Rookie’s Brownlow Medal, with the game in which they were nominated, and any special statistical highlights, have been:-
Che Cockatoo (Ess) – 1994 – debut – 21 possessions, 3 goalsSteven Lawrence (Bris) – 1995 – 4 games – 22 possessionsMal Michael (Coll) – 1997 – 9 gamesBrett Backwell (Carl) – 1999 – 3 games – 12 possessions, 3 goals (career-best)Robert Copeland (Bris) – 2001 – 11 games – 13 possessions, 3 goals (equal career-best)Nick Riewoldt (StK) – 2002 – 11 games – 17 possessions, 1 Brownlow voteJamie Charman (Bris) – 2002 – 20 games, 20 hit-outsMichael Osborne (Haw) – 2003 – 14 possessions – 3rd seasonAndrew Raines (Rich) – 2006 – 11 possessionsCheynee Stiller (Bris) – 2006 – 28 possessions, 1 goalBrad Moran (NM) – 2006 – 21 possessions, 10 hit-outsRicky Petterd (Melb) – 2007 – 2 games – 24 possessionsSam Gilbert (StK) – 2007 – 14 games – 22 possessionsTom Williams (WB) – 2007 – 9 games – 18 possessionsKurt Tippett (Adel) – 2008 – 8 games – 7 possessions, 4 goalsGavin Urquhart (NM) – 2008 – 9 games – 22 possessionsDayne Beams (Coll) – 2009 – 11 games – 21 possessions, 2 goalsJesse White (Syd) – 2009 – 20 games – 10 possessions, 3 goals Zac Smith (GC) – 2011 – 6 games – 20 possessions, 2 goals, 17HO, 6 clearancesClaye Beams (Bris) – 2012 – 6 games – 25 possessionsCharlie Cameron (Adel) – 2015 – 18 games – 13 possessions, 1 goalHarris Andrews (Bris) – 2015 – 14 games – 22 possessions, 3 contested marksLachie Weller (Frem) – 2016 – 15 games – 22 possessions, 4 goals (career best), 2 votesEric Hipwood (Bris) – 2017 – 15 games – 12 possessions, 3 goalsBailey Scott (NM) – 2019 – debut – 21 possessions, 2 goalsConnor Budarick (GC) – 2020 – 3 games – 16 possessions, 1 goalNoah Cumberland (Rich) – 2022 – 5 games – 8 possessions, 5 goals (career-best)Will Ashcroft (Bris) – 2023 – 2 games – 31 possessions, 1 one, 9 clearances, 3 votesJaspa Fletcher (Bris) – 2023 – 6 games – 19 possessionsJake Rogers (GC) – 2024 – 2 games – 22 possessions, 1 goalBodhi Uwland (GC) – 2024 – 13 games – 19 possessionsWill Graham (GC) – 2024 – 9 games – 12 possessions, 1 goalLevi Ashcroft (Bris) – 2025 – 2 games – 17 possessionsEthan Read (GC) – 2025 – 19 games – 13 possessions, 2 goalsLeo Lombard (Bris) – 2026 – 5 games – 15 possessions, 2 goalsJai Murray (GC) – 2026 – 3 games – 17 possessions