It took until round 10 for Kade Kolodjashnij to earn his NAB AFL Rising Star nomination, but the 18-year-old is already matching a couple of recent winners of the award when it comes to pure statistics.

Teammate Jaeger O’Meara produced a debut season which left commentators gasping for superlatives, at times, in 2013, but even he took half-a-dozen weeks to really find his feet before some stunning performances during the middle of the season, including his efforts in wins over the Bulldogs and Magpies where he polled two Brownlow votes in each game.

While he had a seven-match streak mid-season where he collected 20-plus disposals in each game, O’Meara averaged 19.7 touches over his first seven senior matches.

Over his first seven games at AFL level, Kolodjashjij is already averaging 20.7 disposals and five marks per game off half-back. What also sticks out is his 16.3 effective disposals per game, which is light years ahead of St Kilda’s Luke Dunstan in second place, amongst players eligible for the Rising Star award this season.

Kolodjashnij can’t be expected to match the contested possession numbers O’Meara put up in his first year, given their different roles, but a better comparison is 2011 Rising Star Dyson Heppell, who, like his fellow left-footer at the GC SUNS, gave Essendon plenty of punch off half-back in his first season.

Through his first seven starts, Heppell averaged 21.3 touches and six marks per game, a smidge above Kolodjashnij’s stats. He maintained those numbers throughout the season, and like O’Meara, also picked up four Brownlow votes in his first campaign.

Kolodjashnij, on those numbers, and what has been seen of his accomplished play at senior level so far, should be well and truly in the mix for the Rising Star award. But the Tasmanian seems to be unfazed by his efforts to this point, although he has been a little surprised by his ability to pick up the speed of the game at AFL level.

“I’m actually finding the pace of the game pretty easy at the moment,” Kolodjashnij said.

“The boys have been really good as well. They’ve looked after me in the seniors.

“I think about just playing my role for the team.

“I reckon the coaches have put faith in me to play my role.”

Kade’s twin brother, Jake, was drafted by Geelong and is yet to make his senior debut. Despite being separated from his sibling and the move from the Apple Isle to Queensland, Kolodjashnij said he has fitted in well to life on the Gold Coast.

“It’s tough when everybody gets drafted. They’ve got to leave their family and their brothers and sisters as well. As soon as I got up here I just wanted to get to know everyone.

“I’ve been hanging around the first-year boys a lot, so they’ve been really good, as well, because they’re going through the same situation as me.”