Defender Lewis Melican is the latest AFL Rising Star nomination as he continues to ride the wave of Sydney’s stunning resurgence.

The 20-year-old has only missed one match since his round-five debut.

Out of his 12 matches, the Swans have only lost three.

They started the year with a dismal 0-6 run, but are now sixth with a 10-7 record.

Melican had eight contested possessions and kept St Kilda legend Nick Riewoldt to only one goal last Friday night as the Swans continued their run with a 42-point win.

“Lewis’ form has been really good – he’s very coachable and he’s been able to learn every week to become more consistent with each game,” coach John Longmire said.

“He’s taken on some big challenges every week and played on some of the competition’s best forwards, and we’ve got confidence in him that he can do that.

“He’s a terrific country boy who is a fairly quiet, respectful kid and he’s getting more confident every week with the more football he plays.

“Lewis was the youngest player drafted in his draft year and it’s been great to see his development, both as a player and a person, over the past few years.”

The Swans recruited Melican with the No.52 pick in the 2015 rookie draft and was elevated to the senior list the week before his senior debut.