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
1. Murphy Reid (+1)
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.
