Hawthorn will be hopeful it can join Sydney as the only two clubs with three winners of the NAB Rising Star award on Thursday night.

Sydney is the current standalone leader of all teams with three previous winners; Adam Goodes in 1999, Dan Hannebery in 2010 and last year’s winner Callum Mills. 

Hawthorn’s Nick Holland won the third instalment of the honour in 1995, his second year at the club and first year playing in the forward line.

Sam Mitchell then returned the medal to brown and gold hands in 2003, when he beat Luke Ball home for the first achievement of what would become an incredibly decorated career. 

This season’s Round 2 nominee Ryan Burton has been one of the stand-out young guns of the 2017 season, and enters the night as favourite to take out the award.

Pundits are predicting that Port Adelaide midfielder Sam Powell-Pepper and Essendon’s 2016 number one draft pick Andrew McGrath are the Hawthorn defender’s strongest challengers. 

Read: The AFL writers predict the Rising Star order

Hawthorn is one of only eight clubs in the competition to have had multiple Rising Star winners. 

The Hawks have also received the equal fourth most nominations over the award’s 24-year history, with 36 selections. 

Carlton has created their own piece of history this year by earning a record five nominations - Caleb Marchbank (R6), Sam Petrevski-Seton (R7), David Cunningham (R12), Jack Silvagni (R13) and Charlie Curnow (R16).

Hawthorn youngster Blake Hardwick is also in contention, having received a nomination for his 19 disposal (included 11 intercept possessions) game against Collingwood in Round 15.

List of past Rising Star winners: