The AFL's 2025 rookie class continues to exceed expectations with a number of exceptional performances altering the state of Zero Hanger's Rookie Rankings after Round 6.
A young Docker has knocked a pre-season favourite off his perch to reclaim top spot, while two Tigers lock themselves into the top six. Not far behind them is a pair of Melbourne's rookies, Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay, on the cusp of breaking into the top six with strong performances in the Demons' win over Fremantle.
Our Rookie Rankings will extend to a top seven after Round 12, with a new rung to be added every half-dozen weeks.
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 5 Honourable Mentions:
Harvey Langford (Melbourne) - 17 disposals, two goals
Max Hall (St Kilda) - 13 disposals, four marks
Xavier Lindsay (Melbourne) - 16 disposals, four marks, two clearances
Luke Trainor was demoted to substitute for the Tigers this week with the return of Noah Balta, so despite spending just nine per cent of the game on the ground, he falls to sixth in the Rookie Rankings. However, his body of work through the first five rounds is too strong to remove him from the top six, as he was slowly building some strong form down back, with ten marks and 412 metres gained in Richmond's loss to Fremantle at Gather Round.
With the recent court sentencing of Balta including a curfew, it should be expected for Trainor to return against the Demons on Thursday night, creating an intriguing matchup for the young key defender as Melbourne recently revamped their forward line.
With the return of Marcus Bontempelli, Davidson was relegated to starting the match against St Kilda on the bench, but this didn't negate his impact whatsoever. Instead, he joined his fellow midfielders in running rampant over the Saints, collecting 21 disposals and taking eight marks in the Bulldogs' 71-point thrashing.
Defensively, Davidson looked sound, winning five interception possessions and having 13 pressure acts. The 23-year-old's development with the ball has been accelerating rapidly since his AFL career began, and now we're beginning to see his potential be realised behind it. With a massive clash against the Giants stacked midfield up next, Dogs fans should be excited to see how Davidson stands up to the challenge.
Sam Lalor returns to the Rookie Rankings after a week off with injury, making his presence felt for the Tigers in their upset win over Gold Coast. While the veterans of Tim Taranto and Nick Vlaustuin were the standouts for Richmond in the win, Lalor's impact on the contest can't be overlooked.
Lalor collected eight contested possessions, making up half of his 16 disposals. Only Taranto had more possessions and a higher contested possession rate. He also gathered seven ground ball gets, highlighting the elite work rate that saw him picked first overall.
Lalor took five marks, two being inside 50, allowing him to convert for a goal at the end of the third quarter which was essentially the dagger as Gold Coast failed to reach the 70-point mark. Add into the mix six score involvements, which was a team-high, Lalor's impact as a rookie is unprecedented and undoubtedly has played a role in Richmond surprisingly winning two of their first six games.
Bice continues to impress as the surprise star of the rookie class, the mature-ager putting together another solid performance for Sydney despite the loss to Port Adelaide.
Bice had this third straight game with over 20 disposals with 21 on Sunday afternoon, taking five marks and involved in four scoring plays. He also generated six rebound 50s - only Dane Rampe had more for the Swans - and three inside 50s, his kick as impactful as it's been all season.
Bice's status as a key cog in the Swans' system is becoming increasingly clear with every game he plays, and it's why he remains a top-three rookie.
It wasn't the night the Ashcroft brothers would have hoped for on Thursday, as the Daicos brothers led Collingwood to a convincing win. Between the Ashcrofts, however, Levi was best on, collecting 19 disposals and using the ball at the highest efficiency of his short rookie season thus far, an 84.2% clip.
While Ashcroft was unable to impact the scoreboard directly, he was involved in seven scoring chains for the Lions, the most for the club on Thursday, including a goal assist. Ashcroft is looking more settled at the AFL level and is making an impact in a variety of ways, so while he does lose top spot this week, there's plenty to like from Levi.
Murphy Reid is back on top of the Rookie Rankings after a classy 17-disposal performance this week. While his debut game against Geelong obviously stands out as his best game to date, his efforts against Melbourne may have been his most complete.
In Reid's first appearance on the hallowed turf, he generated six inside 50s for Fremantle, only outdone by star Shai Bolton's seven, and had eight score involvements. He came out of the gates flying, converting all of his direct scores in the first half, notably an important goal to trim Melbourne's early three-goal lead to level pegging.
Whether he was at the crumb of the contest or firing kicks inside 50, Reid looked composed on the AFL's biggest stage and wise beyond his years, cementing his spot as the current best rookie in the AFL, for now.
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