Round 21 presented a wealth of classy performances from this season's batch of rookies, several of whom made notable impacts in big wins for their respective clubs.
A Melbourne midfielder has made his case to make a late charge for top spot in this week's Rookie Rankings, while two defenders have jumped up a rung in pursuit of a top-five finish.
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:
Taj Hotton (Richmond) - 14 disposals, five marks, five score involvements
Xavier Lindsay (Melbourne) - Nine disposals, two goals
Luke Trainor (Richmond) - 14 disposals, three tackles
44. Tom McCarthy (+2)
While West Coast was dealt another crushing loss on Saturday, defender Tom McCarthy continues to demonstrate immense promise.
The number one pick of the mid-season draft was arguably the most influential Eagle on the field in just his seventh match, registering 26 disposals, 10 contested possessions, seven marks and five clearances. It was truly a complete game from McCarthy despite the second-half capitulation from his side, contributing a career-best eight score involvements.
While admittedly being from a small sample size, McCarthy is involved in 22.1 per cent of West Coast's scores as a defender, putting him in seriously elite company. That figure ranks him fifth among defenders league-wide for score involvement percentage, behind Dayne Zorko (22.2 per cent), Connor Rozee (22.6 per cent), Jack Sinclair (25.1 per cent) and Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera (29 per cent).
Defender
Marks
Disposals
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