If Isaac Heeney walked away from the Swans’ sixth round win against Melbourne without the aid of crutches, this year’s AFL Rising Star Award could have been heading to Sydney.

Instead, Wednesday’s Ron Evans Medal is from all reports a two-horse race between Carlton’s Patrick Cripps and Melbourne’s Jesse Hogan.

After the first three weeks of Heeney’s outstanding debut season, the then 18-year-old was averaging 15 disposals and had booted five goals including a four-haul against GWS.

Heeney starred against the Giants, using his 10 disposals at 100 percent efficiency while having a hand in three other goals to earn the Rising Star nomination and officially enter the running for the prestigious award.

The boy from Newcastle, who was substituted out after sensationally slamming into the post, not only entered the race but slingshotted to favouritism.

“I loved that game, it was good to kick a few goals, but in all the whole season has been incredible,” Heeney said.

“I didn’t really know what to expect at the start of the year, I was just training hard and striving for that first one.

“It wasn’t the greatest moment (hitting the post)…but that’s footy sometimes.”

Injuries also happen in footy.

Leaping high for a mark, as Swans supporters have come to expect from the first-year recruit, Heeney landed awkwardly against the Demons and ruptured his posterior cruciate ligament in his knee.

The setback sidelined Heeney for 10 weeks.

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Swans coach John Longmire was quick to warn the newly appointed Rising Star nominee of the peaks and troughs of life at the elite level which proved timely advice.

“It’s been unreal, an experienced I could never have imagined happening to me,” Heeney said.

“Obviously having that injury showed me the highs and lows of footy but I’ve come back strongly so hopefully I can get a gig in the finals.”

Since returning, in Round 17 against West Coast, Heeney is back to a 15-disposal average while providing an x-factor within a forward line that has been missing the usual influence of Lance Franklin.

Heeney still has a chance of joining elite company as the third Swan to win the award, following in the footsteps of Dan Hannebery (2010) and Adam Goodes (1999).

If not “it’s not the end of the world” given there’s bigger fish to fry in the form of Saturday afternoon’s Qualifying Final against Fremantle.

“It’s really exciting…I don’t get overwhelmed too much, I’ll be aiming to do my best and give it a good crack,” Heeney added.

“Hopefully we can all step it up to another level and continue this good form we’ve built over the last few weeks.”

To be eligible for the AFL Rising Star Award, nominated players must be under the age of 21 from January 1, 2015, and have played no more than 10 matches to the start of that season which means Heeney is ineligible to win next year’s gong.

Heeney is the Swans’ fourth Rising Star nominee since 2013 – following Tom Mitchell, Harry Cunningham and Jake Lloyd.