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
33. Harvey Langford (-)
Langford was incredibly influential across the ground in Melbourne's thumping of West Coast on Saturday afternoon, tallying 16 disposals and six contested possessions as he floated across the Marvel Stadium turf with no pressure from his direct opponent.
However, he was most damaging up forward, booting an equal-career high three goals and generating five inside 50s. It highlights why Langford has been able to feature in almost every match for the Demons this season, despite the club already having a stacked midfield that is difficult to break into.
His versatility is an asset Melbourne enjoys thoroughly. While it's been a down year for the club as a whole, Langford's potential to punish by foot as he develops is why he's inside the top three of the Rookie Rankings, and could go higher with more performances like this in the final three weeks.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
