A Melbourne young gun has continued his sharp rise in our Rookie Rankings, with the Tigers' top pick and a consistent Brisbane midfielder out in front.
This week's rankings have seen two teenagers rise up the order while a fellow 2024 draftee falls two places, with three others holding onto the rungs they held last week.
Honourable mentions have been handed out to a St Kilda forward, an Essendon mature-ager and a Roos small forward.
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.
Round 9 Honourable Mentions
Max Hall (St Kilda) - 14 disposals, 4 tackles, 1 goal
Saad El-Hawli (Essendon) - 21 disposals, 1 goal, 6 marks
Jacob Konstanty (North Melbourne) - 12 disposals, 1 goal, 5 tackles
5. Luke Trainor (-)
The Tigers rookie had another 18 disposals in Round 9, earning himself a return of 260 metres gained in the win over West Coast.
Trainor recorded four intercept possessions and had five score involvements from the back half in the victory to continue to build his case.
There's a gap between Trainor and the top four runners in our rankings, but the young backman can close that deficit when the Tigers face the Kangaroos in Round 10.
