The West Coast Eagles forward had 14 touches, took eight marks and kicked two crucial goals as his side overcame a 30-point second-quarter deficit to win its first game in 10 months.
The goals were quality efforts, the first a crafty dribble kick from 30m that gave West Coast a critical 11-point buffer in the third, while the second came from a set shot, as Shanahan steered the ball through from near the boundary on the 50m arc.
He also had a couple of further goal involvements, continuing to progress since debuting for the club in round 16 last year.
Shanahan, taken with pick 30 in the 2024 draft, discussed the nomination and a notable win with West Coast’s media team.
“It feels great to be recognised, it means a lot,” he said.
“But credit to the boys who allowed me to play to my strengths, it really felt like we were all on the same page out there.”
Shanahan’s influence in the side is growing, having not missed a game since his debut.
He narrowly qualifies for the Rising Star, just meeting the criteria of 10 or fewer total games entering the season, having played nine times in 2025.
Shanahan joins Leo Lombard (Gold Coast) and Jagga Smith (Carlton) as the three nominees for the award this season.
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