They’re two of the best-performed youngsters in the competition and are the foundations of Fremantle’s promising rebuild.

So why haven’t Dockers midfield duo Andrew Brayshaw and Adam Cerra been nominated for the AFL Rising Star award?

Brayshaw, pick two at last year’s draft, hasn’t missed a game since making his debut in the opening round against Port Adelaide, while smooth-moving Cerra (pick five) has been a regular since getting blooded the following week.

Both players enjoyed their best game of the season in the past fortnight, with 18-year-old Cerra receiving maximum AFLCA Champion Player of the Year award votes for his 30-disposal performance against Adelaide in round 12.

Cerra’s teammate Brennan Cox was nominated that week for his monster four-goal effort against last year’s grand finalists.

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Camera Icon Fremantle youngsters Adam Cerra and Andrew Brayshaw outside Optus Stadium. Credit: Sharon Smith/The West Australian

Fellow Victorian Brayshaw followed suit against Carlton at Etihad Stadium on Saturday, amassing 20 possessions, five tackles and a goal in a breakout performance, but was also overlooked in favour of St Kilda’s Hunter Clark.

Four Dockers are in the top-12 betting favourites for the rising star, but only Cox has received a nomination to date.

In this week’s edition of the Duff and Quarters AFL podcast, The West Australian’s chief football writer Mark Duffield and The Sunday Times sports editor Glen Quartermain discuss why the talented pair have been snubbed from the prestigious award.

“Hunter Clark from St Kilda gets the nomination from the weekend, he played pretty strongly in their win over Gold Coast,” Duffield said.

“That was probably Andy Brayshaw’s best game for Fremantle (against Carlton on Saturday) in what has been a pretty solid season.”

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Quartermain said he would be “very surprised” if Cerra and Brayshaw weren’t nominated by season’s end.

“I couldn’t imagine the rising star presentation evening happening without those two among the nominations, it wouldn’t be right given the season they’ve had,” he said.

“If they were playing in Melbourne, they would have been nominated right now.”

It has been a decade since a Fremantle player was named the AFL’s Rising Star, with Rhys Palmer taking out the award in 2008. Champion midfielder Paul Hasleby (2000) is the club’s only other winner.

COMPARE THE PAIR

Hunter Clark (St Kilda)

Games: 10

Goals: Two

Wins: Two (and a draw)

Averages: 15.1 disposals, 3.1 tackles, 2.7 marks

Round 13: 17 disposals, six tackles, six marks

Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)

Games: 13

Goals: Four

Wins: Six

Averages: 15.1 disposals, 4.2 tackles, 2.8 marks

Round 13: 20 disposals, five tackles, five marks and a goal

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TABTOUCH RISING STAR ODDS

$5: Oliver Florent (Sydney), Alex Witherden (Brisbane), Tom Doedee (Adelaide)

$6: Jaidyn Stephenson (Collingwood)

$15: Adam Cerra (Fremantle)

$17: Ed Richards (Western Bulldogs)

$21: Sam Murray (Collingwood)

$23: Riley Bonner (Port Adelaide)

$26: Cameron Rayner (Brisbane)

$34: Jack Henry (Geelong), Ben Ronke (Sydney), Jake Waterman (West Coast), Bailey Banfield (Fremantle), Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)

$51: Brennan Cox (Fremantle), Ed Phillips (St Kilda), Charlie Spargo (Melbourne)