West Coast AFLW coach Daisy Pearce says young defender Jess Rentsch “defends like three people”.

The AFL agrees, handing the Victorian country product the round nine Rising Star nomination.

“It’s unexpected, but exciting,” Rentsch said. “I’m not one to play for personal achievements, it’s more team success that I’m after, but it’s nice to be recognised.

“Daisy broke the news to me and the group at the start of today’s team meeting, and I was really not expecting it.

“I thought she was going to say someone was debuting or something, but it was nice have the team there and they all got around me.”

Rentsch, 19, hails from Penshurst in western Victoria, a small country town with a popular of 461 in the shadows of the Grampians.

“I really, really like Rentsch, it’s no secret around here.

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