Heppell received the first Rising Star nomination for 2011 after recording 20 possessions in his debut AFL match, against the Western Bulldogs in round 1 [REF].
Heppell continued his upward climb throughout the 2014 season, winning his maiden W. S. Crichton Medal,[REF] receiving his first selection in the All-Australian team,[REF] and polled 14 votes in the 2014 Brownlow Medal.