Jacob Hopper’s sparkling AFL debut has earned the Greater Western Sydney academy product a Rising Star nomination.

Hopper showed experience beyond his years at Spotless Stadium on Saturday, tallying 32 possessions and nine clearances to help GWS crush Gold Coast by 91 points.

The 19-year-old was an obvious chose for the round-eight nominee.

“He’s had to earn his stripes in the NEAFL and I was really proud of Jacob,” GWS coach Leon Cameron said.

“He loves to tackle and loves to win contested ball and that’s all you can ask from a player coming into the AFL.

“It was terrific for his family to witness his first game and the club is really pleased he’s received this nomination.”

Hopper is from the NSW town of Leeton, which is in the Giants’ academy area.

Collingwood president Eddie McGuire recently queried GWS’s priority access to talent from the Riverina region, warning the league risks throwing “the competition out of kilter for the best part of 10 years”.