MELBOURNE coach Dean Bailey hopes the club can jag one or two more NAB AFL Rising Star nominations before the end of the season, following the latest honours for emerging defender Colin Garland.

Exciting forward Austin Wonaeamirri received a round seven nomination and Bailey said Garland's addition to the group was a fine reward.

"Out of a poor year, it's a good story at the moment for Col … it's a great reward and it's also a good acknowledgment that a backline player gets acknowledged in the NAB Rising Star," Bailey said at Junction Oval on Tuesday.

"I think that's really important. We've got two now and it'd be nice if we could get one or two more up, which would be fantastic."

Bailey said Garland had worked really hard in the pre-season to earn a position in the senior team, while Sandringham coach Andy Lovell, development coaches Kelly O'Donnell and Mark Williams and backline coach Sean Wellman had also been keys to the Tasmanian's rise.

"He's got some great speed and some really smart decisions in pre-season," Bailey said.

"When you put those four minds together – and they work very closely with the players – it's great to see Col probably fast-tracked his development, with the expertise of particularly those coaches that have come on board.

"Colin doesn't say much, but Colin works particularly hard and he's got a real inner determination in him, which has just come to the fore more and more as the weeks go by.

"He's played on some big name players and we haven't hidden him at all.

"He's really taken up the challenge, so it's a really good sign."

Garland said he was delighted to receive the nomination.

"It is a good honour. It's surprising, I've played a few better games this year, but it was a good reward," he said.

"I didn't really set many expectations on myself – I just wanted to go out and play and try and play as many games as I could, but I didn't really expect to play in the backline in the pre-season anyway.

"But it's worked out alright now."

Meanwhile, Garland said his native state would get behind a Tasmanian AFL side, if introduced.

"Tassie is a football state at least and always has been," Garland said.

"There are lots of ex-greats that have been wanting a Tassie team for years, but the VFL has got a Tassie side and that's well supported – all Tasmanians love their footy – so if there was a Tasmanian side [in the AFL], they'd love that as well."