Isaac Heeney aimed, from day one, to follow in the footsteps of childhood hero Ryan O’Keefe.

“He’s been my idol my whole life,” Heeney said.

“Ever since I started playing AFL, he’s been the one I’ve looked up to and I’ve tried to mimic my game off.”

Twelve months on the 19-year-old is doing just that in leaps and bounds.

Heeney was crowed this year’s Rising Star during Friday night’s Club Champion Dinner, the same award won by O’Keefe in 2001.

The QBE Sydney Swans Academy product, wearing the No. 5 jumper, the same number made famous by O’Keefe in recent times, enjoyed an impressive debut season booting 16 goals and averaging 12 disposals over 14 matches.

At the same stage of his career, O’Keefe was averaging just 6.5 touches after struggling to break into the senior side.

As history tells us, ‘Pebbles’ would eventually develop into one of the Club’s greats, playing 286 games and winning several accolades including the 2009 Bob Skilton Medal and 2012 Norm Smith Medal.

While there’s a long way to go to reach the heights of his predecessor, Heeney has set some solid foundations.

After already earning his name on the Honour Roll and featuring prominently in the Club Champion voting, the boy from Newcastle is well on his way to not only follow in his hero’s footsteps but carve his own successful path.

“I can’t wait for 2016,” Heeney said.