Three goals against Sandgate last weekend, on top of some promising form through the season with Morningside, has resulted in Brock Aston receiving the round 19 nomination for the QAFL Rising Star Award.
Aston is 20, with a physical build, and hails from the Darling Downs where his first junior club was Coolaroo.
Aston’s career started with the Roos under-12s but he had been involved in Auskick as a four and five-year-old in his early days living in Toowoomba.
The teen moved to Brisbane in 2014 and linked with the Western Districts Bulldogs juniors where he had a few fellow Queensland junior reps playing.
Since then Aston has had a strange sort of footballing apprenticeship.
In 2016, aligned to University of Queensland Red Lions in the QAFL, he played 11 NEAFL games as a top-up with the Brisbane Lions as well as four with UQ.
He moved to Morningside in 2017 and managed to fit in one NEAFL game with Redland.
Aston played 11 reserves and three seniors games for Morningside in 2018 and this year he has managed five games in the reserves and 11 in the seniors as the Panthers surged into the finals.
The fact he played NEAFL games for Redland in the same season made things interesting in his development years.
“It was a bit strange sort of bouncing around a bit for those two seasons,” Aston said.
“But it was all about getting a foot in the door, so I was happy to play wherever.”
After kicking three goals for Morningside last weekend against Sandgate it is all eyes on the QAFL finals, starting on Saturday when the Panthers play Surfers Paradise in the qualifying final at Sir Bruce Small Park on the Gold Coast.
“I’ve played against Surfers twice this year and they’re probably the form side in the competition at the moment,” said Aston.
“So it is pretty good going into the finals so you want to be in good form.
“I’ll have a crack and see what I can give to the team.”
Some people say Aston’s build reminds them of Brisbane ace Daniel Rich.
All the Toowoomba product says about that is eventually he hopes to be every bit as good as the Lions star.
But he revealed he grew up idolizing and trying to model himself on tattooed Collingwood gun Dane Swan.
The AFL is certainly a dream for the Darling Downs talent but, failing that, Morningside fits nicely into his options.
“I’ll just see how I go,” said Aston.
“I really like it here (at Morningside) and right now my goal is to win a premiership and be a part of any success we have.”
It is an irony that Morningside have produced the first and last round nominees for the Rising Star.
Team mate Nathan Colenso was the first round recipient.
Round 1: Nathan Colenso, Morningside Panthers
Round 2: Lochlan Harrop, Sandgate Hawks
Round 4: Angus O’Brien, Wilston Grange Gorillas
Round 5: Sam Hilton-Joyce, Surfers Paradise Demons
Round 6: Jack Wratten, Mt Gravatt Vultures
Round 7: Loki Haines, Sandgate Hawks
Round 8: Harrison Arnold, Broadbeach Cats
Round 9: Dan Edwards, Western Magpies
Round 10: Jack Austin, Western Magpies
Round 11: Tahj Abberley, Sandgate Hawks
Round 12: Jake O’Halloran, Sandgate Hawks
Round 13: Kwaybe Boakye, Broadbeach Cats
Round 14: Hugo Barry, Labrador Tigers
Round 15: Aiden Fyfe, Broadbeach Cats
Round 16: Ethan Hunt, Palm Beach Currumbin Lions
Round 17: Tom Matthews, Mt Gravatt Vultures
Round 18: Riley Greene, Western Magpies
Round 19: Brock Aston, Morningside Panthers
