Cooper Hynes is the Telstra AFL Rising Star nominee for Round 13 after an impressive outing in the Western Bulldogs’ win over Hawthorn.
Hynes played a key role in the narrow victory, collecting a career-high 21 disposals, three marks and 560 metres gained in just his 19th AFL game.
The 20-year-old has enjoyed a breakout start to his 2026 campaign, averaging 11.5 disposals, 2.8 tackles and 2.9 score involvements from 11 games so far this season.
Taken with Pick 20 in the 2024 National Draft, Hynes made his debut in Gather Round last year.
He is the Bulldogs’ first Rising Star nominee since Sam Darcy in Round 4, 2024.
