It will surprise no one if Luke Jackson is on Thursday night crowned this year’s AFL Rising Star with the Demons’ forward a raging $1.06 favourite when TAB closed its market on Monday afternoon.
What might surprise, though, is the price Jackson got in to in a year that Rising Star favouritism was up for grabs for much of, despite Matt Rowell entering the season the $1.30 favourite.
Errol Gulden, who was as short as $3 in the weeks following Rowell’s Rd 1 injury, Lachlan Sholl ($4 after Rd 7), Nik Cox ($2.50 after Rd 13) and Tom Green, who was an odds-on favourite one month ago, were others to have stints at the top of the market.
RISING STAR PRICE TIMELINE
LUKE JACKSON
- Started the season $26 and was still that price leading into Rd 6
- $7.50 after Rd 7 but back out to $13 after Rd 10
- $7 after Rd 14
- $4 after Rd 15 but back out to $7 after Rd 19.
- Posted $3.50 after Rd 20 but backed in to $2.25 before Rd 21 started
- Went up $2 after Rd 21 but in to $1.40 before Rd 22 following Tom Green’s injury
- $1.10 after Rd 22
- $1.06 when market closed on Monday
TOM GREEN
- Started the season $9, in to $5 after Rd 1, but back out to $11 after Rd 7
- Favourite for the first time when $4 after Rd 9
- $2.50 after Rd 10
- Got out to $5 after Rd 15 but back in to $2.20 favourite after Rd 16
- Odds-on for the first time when $1.80 after Rd 19
- Out to $4 when injured in Rd 21
- Was $8 when TAB market closed on Monday
MATT ROWELL
- Started the season the $1.30 favourite
- Out to $6 after Rd 1 injury and continued to drift, all the way to $26 after Rd 10
- Came into $5 before his earlier-than-expected return in Rd 13
- $11 after Rd 14
- $34 after Rd 16
- $51 after Rd 20 and $101 when TAB market closed on Monday
LUKE JACKSON – BETS OF INTEREST
- $242 at $12
- $1000 at $5
- $500 at $4
- $1000 at $3.25
- $600 at $2.50
- $2000 at $2
- $4000 at $1.13