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
11. Levi Ashcroft (-)
It's becoming impossible to knock Levi Ashcroft off this perch. Even though Ashcroft wasn't a standout in the Lions' enthralling win over Collingwood on Saturday night, he still registered 22 disposals and four stoppage clearances, boosting his season averages to just shy of 20 disposals and two clearances per game.
No other rookie averages at least 19 disposals and two clearances per game, though Langford's 18.1 disposals and 1.9 clearances come close.
Ashcroft is simply a class above at the moment, and he's doing it alongside some of the best midfielders in the competition.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
