Western Bulldogs' Luke Dahlhaus has been named the round 21 AFL Rising Star nominee after a sterling performance in his side's 49-point loss to Essendon at Etihad Stadium.

The rookie-listed small forward played his best match for the Bulldogs on Saturday night, tallying 19 disposals and kicking two goals.

The 18-year-old played a major role in a stirring third-quarter fightback by the Bulldogs and has now played nine consecutive AFL games since making his debut in round 12.

Bulldogs coach Rodney Eade said the livewire forward, who averages 13.9 disposals and 4.2 tackles per game, had been a revelation since making his debut.

"Luke has added a lot of life, enthusiasm and talent to our side it's a just reward for the high quality performances he has put in over the past nine games," said Eade.

Dahlhaus was overlooked in the 2010 draft but was signed by an AFL club two weeks later when the `Dogs claimed the Geelong Falcons' player with pick No.22 in the rookie draft.

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