Melbourne power forward Jesse Hogan has topped a star-studded field to be named the 2015 AFL Rising Star.

RISING STAR TOP FIVE
1. Jesse Hogan (MELBOURNE) – 49 votes
2. Patrick Cripps (CARLTON) – 41 votes
3. Dom Sheed (WEST COAST) – 27 votes
4. Isaac Heeney (SYDNEY) – 12 votes
5. Angus Brayshaw (Melbourne) – 8 votes

The 20-year-old polled 49 votes to win the Ron Evans Medal from Carlton’s Patrick Cripps (41 votes).

West Coast on-baller Dom Sheed was third, Sydney’s Isaac Heeney fourth, and Hogan’s Melbourne teammate Angus Brayshaw rounded out the top five.

Hogan entered this AFL season with much hype surrounding him and the big man delivered on the big expectations with 44 goals in his 20 games.

He ranked third in the AFL for contested marks went goalless just once for the year.

He bagged his first five-goal haul in a loss to St Kilda in his 10th career match and booted more goals in his first full season than some of the greatest modern-day forwards, including Wayne Carey (38), Jonathan Brown (38) and Riewoldt (21).

Hogan, who was secured by the Demons with pick No.2 in the 2012 mini-draft, was nominated for the Rising Star in round nine after slotting two goals against Port Adelaide in Alice Springs.

He is Melbourne’s second Rising Star winner, following in the footsteps of key defender Jared Rivers (2004).

Hogan became the first key forward since Nick Riewoldt in 2002 to win the Rising Star.