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
5Max Hall (-)
Hall's ability to hit the scoreboard in crucial moments was seen on Sunday afternoon, kicking two pivotal fourth-quarter goals to give St Kilda the lead, priming them to cause an upset. While the win didn't eventuate, Hall's presence as a rookie was undeniable at half-forward, contributing six score involvements from his 16 disposals.
His individual effort seals an excellent rookie campaign, featuring in all 23 games for the Saints and averaging a goal a game. At 23 years old, Hall could quickly accelerate into a key player of the Saints' rebuild alongside the recently recommitted Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, with Hall's exciting threat inside 50 enabling him to hold his spot inside the top five of our 2025 Rookie Rankings.
