JESSE Hogan says he had no expectations going into Wednesday’s NAB AFL Rising Star gala where he was crowned the winner for 2015.

Speaking after the ceremony at Crown, Hogan said he believed Carlton midfielder Patrick Cripps would clinch the Ron Evans Medal.

“Cripps was getting best on ground every week and has just been the clearance machine of the year so I didn’t have any expectations,” he told Dee TV.

“I was just here to clap for him but I’m very humble to walk away with it.”

Hogan said while he wouldn’t spend too much time reflecting on the achievements from his debut season, it was "nice" to feel that he had earned his place in the AFL system.

“It’s very daunting as a 20-year-old coming up to play against these big monsters that are experienced finals defenders. So just to fit in and to get a few marks and touches was enough for me. Anything other than that is just a bit of a bonus," he said.

After a “rollercoaster” year, Hogan believes that Melbourne is in a strong position going into 2016.

“I think as a team we’ve come out of this better than we did at the start of the year and we can take massive steps into next season," he said.

Hogan said he was also happy to see teammate Angus Brayshaw make the top five in the count.

“He did have a good year; he probably faded a little bit come the end of the year as young players do but he had a super consistent year and I can’t wait to see what he can produce next year with Christian Petracca," he said.

As to whether he thinks he can make it two from two ahead of Friday night's Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy count, Hogan believes he’s “not a chance.”

“A few of the boys like Tom McDonald are my tip for it," he said.