NAB Rising Star winner Jesse Hogan has spoken about the honour of winning the 2015 award and his hero growing up Fremantle skipper Matthew Pavlich.

Hogan won the crown with 49 votes, ahead of Carlton’s Patrick Cripps 41 and West Coast’s Dom Sheed on 29 to complete a Sandgroper trifecta. 

There’s been a lot of speculation about Hogan returning home to play at Fremantle and replace Pavlich when he comes out of contract in 2017.

Hogan said it was the Dockers veteran he always wanted to watch as a young West Aussie growing up. 

‘I’d try to go and watch Pav whenever I could. In his prime time he was something special,’ he said. 

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