Connor O'Sullivan has been named the Round Two Telstra AFL Rising Star nominee, following his strong performance in the Cats' seven-point loss to St Kilda on Saturday night.

In only his third AFL game, the emerging tall defender was steady in defence, taking seven marks (three contested) and gathering 15 disposals (11 kicks, four handballs) at 73 per cent efficiency, demonstrating his ability to compete one-on-one under pressure.

Particularly impressive was O'Sullivan's poise in a tense last quarter, collecting seven disposals and five intercept possessions in the final term to have a big impact as Geelong mounted their comeback.

The young defender was selected by Geelong with pick No. 11 in the 2023 AFL Draft, making his AFL debut in the Cats round five win over North Melbourne last year. 

Featuring in 18 matches for the Cats VFL team in 2024, O'Sullivan showed great signs of development averaging over 15 disposals and five marks per game. 

After putting together a strong pre-season, O'Sullivan was rewarded right away with a spot in Geelong's round one team against Fremantle, before playing an influential role in Saturday's clash with the Saints. 
 
Prior to his selection in the AFL draft, O'Sullivan was a dominant junior player, awarded the MVP for the Allies in their first ever AFL National Championships - U18 Boys title win. O'Sullivan played junior football at Albury Junior Football Club on the NSW/Victoria border, and represented the Murray Bushrangers in the Coates Talent League.

2025 Telstra AFL Rising Star nominees:

Telstra, a major supporter of the AFL and its communities for over 20 years, will continue to back footy young guns as the Telstra AFL Rising Star award recognises the best young players for 2025.

A Telstra AFL Rising Star nominee will be named following each week of football in the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. 

The 2025 Telstra AFL Rising Star winner will be awarded the Ron Evans Medal at the 2025 AFL Awards.