An Essendon young gun has made his first appearance in our Rookie Rankings for 2025 following another strong outing in the red and black in Round 19.
He takes Luke Trainor's spot in our top eight, with the other seven rookies in contention holding their spots from last week.
A Carlton defender had his best game in the navy Blue to earn an honourable mention, joining two Tigers and an Eagles midfielder in doing so.
Selection Criteria: Zero Hanger's Rookie Rankings ONLY consider players who have made their debut this season. Other players who may still be eligible for a Rising Star nomination but have already made their debut before the 2025 season will not be considered. I.e. Rising Star eligible players such as Nate Caddy, Dan Curtin and Connor O'Sullivan are ineligible, having already played an AFL match before Opening Round, 2025. Suspension does not make a player ineligible for our Rookie Rankings.
Honourable Mentions
Matt Carroll (Carlton) -
Jonty Faull (Richmond) - 11 disposals, 4 marks, 2 goals
Taj Hotton (Richmond) - 16 disposals, 2 tackles, 7 contested possessions
Clay Hall (West Coast) - 19 disposals, 5 tackles, 1 goal
8Angus Clarke (NEW)
The Bombers' rookie comes into our Rookie Rankings for the first time this year, having built up a strong debut season since his stellar three-goal debut.
Clarke has taken to a wing role at Essendon well, with his ability to get forward as an aerial target in attack adding to his natural ability as a defender.
His most recent performance saw him net 17 touches, three marks and over 300 metres gained in the loss to GWS on Thursday.
Clarke and the Bombers return to prime time footy on Friday night, taking on the Dogs at Marvel Stadium.
