Harley Reid or Sam Darcy – who would have won the Rising Star barring suspensions?

Who would have won the Rising Star award in 2024 if both Harley Reid and Sam Darcy weren’t ineligible due to suspension?

That was the question posed by SEN host Gerard Whateley to David King with the young duo both starring at stages in 2024 even though they now can’t win the award due to the fairness aspect of it.

Reid was the early favourite in the first half of the season with the No.1 pick helping revitalise West Coast with his dominant midfield play. He currently has averages of 18.7 disposals, 5.1 clearances, 3.9 tackles and three inside 50s a game.

Darcy, who is in his third year at the level, has worked into his season and now has 35 goals from 19 games to go with five marks per appearance and he most recently booted a career-high seven-goal haul in Sunday’s 138-42 win over North Melbourne.

King thinks that Darcy would have been preferred due to a lack of star key forward options and Whateley also says he would pick the Dog over the Eagle if he had the choice.

Whateley: “If this was a straight-out head-to-head vote, take fairness out of it and next Monday you had to choose between Sam Darcy and Harley Reid, which way would we be going for the Rising Star?”

King: “Can we make the All-Australian panel do that regardless?”

Whateley: “Just for the exercise? I reckon they'll be relieved they don't have to.”

King: “That's a good call.”

Whateley: “This is a really hard differentiation to make.”

King: “With midfielders, the gap between an absolute top-line midfielder and a very good midfielder is not as big as what a gap is between a dominant key forward (and a very good one).

“We're seeing what Jesse Hogan is doing … the gap between what he's doing compared to the rest goes on the scoreboard.

“When these guys are just your answer forward of the ball, it changes everything.

“If Sam Darcy can ride shotgun with Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Aaron Naughton, they could just destroy a finals series.

“Everyone's got one good tall defender, some have got two, but no one's got three.”

Whateley: “I think I would be leaning towards Darcy.”

Geelong’s Oliver Dempsey is now the hot favourite to take out the award with both Reid and Darcy ineligible.

North Melbourne pair George Wardlaw and Colby McKercher are in the mix while St Kilda's Darcy Wilson has some claims.