The Geelong Football Club are pleased to congratulate young forward Chantal Mason, who has been announced as the AFLW Rising Star nominee for Round 11. 

Mason becomes Geelong's first Rising Star nomination in the 2026 season, and remarkably, the club's first AFLW nomination since Zali Friswell in Round 10 of the 2023 season. 

It is an apt reward for Mason who is growing in stature each and every week, currently in the midst of an outstanding 2026 campaign. 

Coming into the year with nine AFLW games under her belt, the emerging forward cemented her place in the side right away in Round 1. 

Mason would hit the scoreboard for the first time this year in Round 2, kicking a goal against St Kilda and helping the Cats to record a big victory to kickstart the season. 

She would go from strength to strength, setting a new career-high for disposals in Round 4 against Essendon, before eclipsing that career-high in Round 8 and then again in Round 10, when she collected 22 disposals against West Coast. 

While she has primarily made a name for herself as a forward, Mason has also displayed her versatility this year and has spent valuable time in the ruck, able to utilise her athletic ability to impact the key contests. 

But on Saturday afternoon against Fremantle, she returned to a more permanent role inside forward 50 and had a sensational outing, helping to lead Geelong to a 10th consecutive victory. 

Mason finished the contest with 19 disposals and kicked three goals, two of those coming in the first quarter to help the Cats carve out an early lead. 

She also finished with a game-high 10 score involvements, four more than any other player on the ground. 

Mason's rapid rise in 2026 has typified Geelong's outstanding campaign, with the Cats securing a top-four position after defeating Fremantle on the weekend. 

The Cats will be vying for a top-two finish this Friday night, when they take on the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium in the final round of the AFLW home-and-away season. 

2026 AFLW Rising Star Nominees