Our Rookie Rankings after Round 7 have seen another change to top spot, while a pair of Melbourne draftees can consider themselves unlucky not to make the top six.
The top six from last week's rankings remain the same, with the one change occurring after the weekend's results.
A Saints midfield-forward, Blues defender and Dogs debutant are this week's honourable mentions.
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.
Round 7 Honourable Mentions:
Max Hall (St Kilda) - 15 disposals, one goal, four tackles
Jedd Busslinger (Western Bulldogs) - 12 disposals, four marks, 83% disposal efficiency
Matt Carroll (Carlton) - 15 disposals, six marks, 358 metres gained
Despite the loss, Trainor was rock solid in defence for the Tigers in Thursday's affair against Melbourne, taking a team-hogh nine marks - four of which were intercepts.
The athletic backman ended his night with four score involvemetns from the back half, using close to 90 per cent of his 16 disposals with accuracy to get possession flowing up the field.
Trainor's performance sees him hold onto the sixth rung in our Rookie Rankings as Melbourne pair Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay continue to knock on the door for spots.
Trainor will want to back up his latest performance with another strong outing against Hawthorn in Round 8.
The Bulldogs wingman was again a key conduit in his side's ball movement, amassing eight score involvements and five inside 50s from his 15 disposals.
He would again get forward to boot a goal, bringing his season tally to three, while he would also record 324 metres gained at Manuka Oval.
Much like Trainor, Davidson is holding onto his spot in our Rookie Rankings with consistent form, but isn't far in front of the chasing pack on the outside of our top six.
The Bulldogs head to Ballarat this weekend, hosting Port Adelaide on Saturday as Luke Beveridge's side looks to continue their promising form.
A quieter game for Lalor but his impact was still felt in each of his 10 touches against Melbourne in Round 7, with nine of his disposals put to good use.
The No.1 draft pick was physical and commanding at the contest and managed to find space on the MCG turf in the front half to be a link-up asset, amassing three score involvements.
His decision-making under the pump was again astute, with Lalor collecting three clearances around the stoppage.
The Tigers will hope for a strong performance this weekend when they face Hawthorn in what shapes as another challenge for Adem Yze's men.
A performance we've come to expect from Sydney's six-gamer, with Bice a cool and composed distributor of the Sherrin despite the Swans' loss to the Suns over the weekend.
Bice amassed 20 disposals at 95 per cent efficiency and seven marks for a return of 281 metres gained against Gold Coast, while he also notched up seven intercept possessions to flex his two-way game.
The Werribee product has slotted into Dean Cox's system with some ease, but the Swans will be wanting to see better results from the squad in the coming weeks after another loss.
A chance to bounce back comes on an enticing platform this week, with the 'Battle of the Bridge' scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
The quietest game of Reid's strong start to the year, with his second disposal against Adelaide coming late into the third term.
That touch was a goal however, while Reid failed to double his chance with another opportunity in the final term.
He finished Friday night with six disposals and four tackles, with a difficult role finally getting the better of the Pick 17 selection.
Thankfully, it came in a Fremantle victory, with the Dockers rolling on with good form as they eye another scalp against the Saints this week.
For the third time in as many weeks, former Sandringham Dragons teammates Ashcroft and Reid have swapped spots atop our Rookie Rankings, with the lower performance from the latter the biggest factor in this week's change.
Ashcroft was again a solid contributor for Brisbane though, collecting 23 disposals, six clearances, seven contested possessions and close to 300 metres gained.
He could've had a larger afternoon had he been accurate in front of goal, with the father-son gun booting two behinds against the Saints.
Brisbane are scheduled for their first QClash of the year on Sunday, with Ashcroft set to play for the best-afield award named in recognition of his father Marcus.
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