Our Rookie Rankings have welcomed a Demons first-round pick for the first time this year, with a Dogs recruit falling out of the top six as a Swans defender slides.
Western Bulldogs wingman Sam Davidson has made way after holding his place in the top six for the past several weeks, with young Melbourne midfielder Harvey Langford finally bursting through after a consistent run.
The fall of Sydney's Riley Bice has meant a pair of Tigers have also advanced in our rankings after Round 8.
A pair of Saints, a Dockers small forward and a Bombers livewire are this week's honourable mentions as well.
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 8 Honourable Mentions
Hugh Boxshall (St Kilda) - 16 disposals, six tackles and four clearances
Max Hall (St Kilda) - 15 possessions, five tackles and four clearances
Isaac Kako (Essendon) - 12 touches, one goal, six score involvements
Isaiah Dudley (Fremantle) - One goal, seven disposals and eight tackles
A quieter performance than what we've come to expect from the Swans' half-back, who couldn't have the same impact as recent weeks despite Sydney claiming a victory over arch-rivals GWS.
Bice's ball movement wasn't at the expected level, with the mature-aged recruit managing just seven effective touches on Sunday afternoon.
He ended his latest performance with 12 disposals and three marks for a return of 156 metres gained - easily his lowest for the season.
Bice has a chance to bounce back this weekend when the Swans face Essendon on Saturday at Marvel Stadium.
The Tigers youngster recorded more than 20 touches for the second time in his career on Sunday against the Hawks as Richmond's rearguard looked to combat an onslaught from their attacking opponent.
Trainor had four intercept possessions and five score involvements in the heavy loss, with his accurate ball movement from the back half impressing despite the result.
He also recorded eight marks and a return of 438 metres gained in what might've been his best performance yet.
The outing, coupled with Davidson's exit and Bice's fall, sees Trainor rise in our Rookie Rankings ahead of an enticing clash with West Coast this weekend.
The Demons' Pick 6 selection finally makes his first appearance in our Rookie Rankings after a consistent run of performances since returning to Simon Goodwin's side.
Langford debuted in Round 1 but was demoted to the VFL a week later to work on his midfield craft, with the Dandenong Stingrays talent quickly earning a recall.
Since, Langford has been a key piece in Melbourne's turning fortunes, finding plenty of the ball and even having an impact on the scoreboard.
Langford has collected 23 or more touches in four of his last six appearances to bring his season averages to 18.3 disposals, 2.7 clearances, 7.6 contested possessions and 0.6 goals per game.
The Demons have a tough matchup in Round 9, scheduled to face Hawthorn at the MCG on Saturday.
The draft dux didn't have his best outing to earn a rise up our Rookie Rankings, with the drop of Riley Bice the biggest factor in his jump to the top three.
Lalor has been one of this year's best performers to have runs on the board and warrant a spot on the podium, however his consistency is what has him behind two of his fellow draftees.
The Tigers young gun had a dozen disposals against the Hawks on Sunday, four of which led to scores for his side as Lalor was again a conduit in the club's front-half.
Richmond have a winnable matchup on Sunday against West Coast that'll see Lalor potentially go head-to-head with fellow first overall pick Harley Reid.
The Dockers' midfield-forward hybrid was kept to a quieter game for the second straight week, but Reid still managed 15 disposals in the loss to St Kilda.
10 of those touches were contested, which likely led to his low disposal efficiency of 46%.
The performance has meant the gap from the chasing pack behind Reid has shortened, while our Rookie Rankings leader remains in front with some extra distance.
The Dockers return to Perth on Thursday night to take on Collingwood, with a big outing in front of a home crowd potentially instore for Reid.
The Lions' father-son selection has extended the gap he holds over the rest of the rookies in our rankings off the back of a strong QClash performance.
While brother Will took out the best on ground medal named after their father, Levi was also prolific from the outset against the Suns.
He ended his maiden 'Pineapple Grapple' with 29 disposals, seven marks, 368 metres gained, 10 contested possessions, six intercept possessions and four score involvements.
Already in front with some breathing space, Ashcroft could strengthen his place atop our rankings with another solid performance this weekend against North Melbourne.
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