The home-and-away season has concluded for 2025, and with it comes the confirmation of Zero Hanger's rookie of the year and the makeup of the remaining seven spots inside the Rookie Rankings.
A couple of changes took place in Round 24 as the final top eight rankings took shape, with the trio on the podium officially locked in.
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:
Cooper Trembath (North Melbourne) - 11 disposals, three goals
Sam Lalor (Richmond) - 12.0 disposals, 4.4 score involvements per game
8Hugh Boxshall (-)
Hugh Boxshall's solid outing against the Giants ensures he holds onto a top-eight spot in our Rookie Rankings, posting 15 disposals at 80 per cent efficiency, seven of those possessions being contested.
The midfielder starred defensively in this game in particular, claiming just shy of a season-high 14 pressure acts, while also taking three intercept marks. It concludes a fantastic 11-game rookie campaign, where the 19-year-old averaged 12.6 disposals, 3.9 tackles and 3.2 marks, though he won't be the only Saints young gun in this top eight.
