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
1Levi Ashcroft (-)
The younger Ashcroft brother has claimed Zero Hanger's Rookie Rankings crown, outdoing his brother Will, who finished second in the 2023 rankings.
While Reid pushed hard for top spot, it's impossible to ignore Ashcroft's immense talents in a number of positions as the Lions set up a tilt for a second consecutive premiership.
In the absence of elite ball-winners Jarrod Berry and Lachie Neale, Ashcroft has elevated his play in the midfield, recording 21 clearances in the last four weeks. He was elite in the Lions' clutch 10-point win over Hawthorn to sew up a top-four spot, winning 19 disposals, 10 of which were contested.
In fact, in the last five weeks, Ashcroft has ranked third on the Lions for clearances won (4.6 per game) and contested possessions (9.0). Across the entire season, he ranks sixth in those metrics for Brisbane.
It highlights the talent Brisbane has had waiting in the wings in their loaded midfield group, and suggests what Ashcroft could have produced with more opportunities in that part of the ground.
Reid has been sensational this season, but Ashcroft, like his brother, has Norm Smith-winning potential, and that's why he claims our Rookie Rankings top spot.
