Four of the top seven in our Rookie Rankings have swapped spots after Round 9's events, with the top three remaining the same for another week.
An Eagles tackling machine has jumped two spots, while two Blues have both fallen in our rankings after Carlton's loss to the Bulldogs.
An unprecedented five players earned honourable mentions for the weekend, with Sun Bailey Humphrey, Demon Jacob van Rooyen and Hawk Seamus Mitchell all pressing for top seven spots after strong performances.
Criteria: For our Rookie Rankings, we are selecting 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 prior to the 2023 season will not be considered.
I.e. Rising Star eligible players such as Sam Darcy, Finn Callaghan and Jye Amiss are ineligible, having already played an AFL match prior to Round 1, 2023.
Round 8 Honourable Mentions
Bailey Humphrey (Gold Coast)
Seamus Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Josh Weddle (Hawthorn)
Jacob van Rooyen (Melbourne)
Arthur Jones (Western Bulldogs)
7. Alex Cincotta (-2)
After emerging in our Rookie Rankings for the first time after Round 8, the mature-aged Blues recruit falls back two spots to seventh overall due to a quieter outing against the Bulldogs.
After starting his rookie campaign with disposal counts of 24, 17 and 20 across his opening three appearances, Cincotta managed nine touches in Saturday night's loss against the Bulldogs as he struggled to have an impact on the game.
With runs on the board from his blistering start to 2023, Cincotta is unlikely to fall out of Michael Voss' side for Round 10, while another tough weekend could see the Carlton backman slide out of our top seven.
Defender
Marks
Disposals
Rebound50s
The Blues, now looking to snap a two-game winless run, will face ladder leaders and rivals Collingwood at the MCG on Sunday afternoon.
