Mature-aged recruit one of two breakthroughs as Reid rises to No.1: AFL Rookie Rankings – Round 5

Our AFL Rookie Rankings have a new leader after Round 5, with No.1 pick and West Coast young gun Harley Reid taking pole position after his starring performance in the Eagles' first win of the season.

Reid's rise continued after an impressive past fortnight, while an injury to last week's leader has also played a part in the change atop our leaderboard.

The top five also sees two new faces, with a GWS youngster returning to fifth spot while a mature-aged recruit has broken through and slotted into fourth overall after just two matches.

A Suns youngster, a new Richmond cult hero and St Kilda's tactical sub all earned honourable mentions for Round 5.

Our Rookie Rankings will expand to a top six at the cessation of Round 6, meaning recent omissions Seth Campbell and Blake Howes stand a good chance to return in the coming rounds.

Selection Criteria: For our Rookie Rankings, we are ONLY 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 before the 2024 season will not be considered. I.e. Rising Star eligible players such as George Wardlaw, Angus Sheldrick and Sam Darcy are ineligible, having already played an AFL match before Round 1, 2024. 

Honourable Mentions
Will Graham (Gold Coast)
Mykelti Lefau (Richmond)
Hugo Garcia (St Kilda)

Harvey Thomas (NEW)

The Giants rookie returns to our top five after several weeks outside of our Rookie Rankings.

The young Giants utility flexed his versatility in Saturday's win over St Kilda, with Thomas starting the match in attack before drifting to defence to help Adam Kingsley's rearguard after Sam Taylor's injury.

Thomas would again float forward where he was most influential, booting an early goal from his 17 possessions (seven contested), five marks and four tackles.

Rated as one of the more flexible players in last year's draft class, the GWS Academy graduate looked at ease in any role he was shifted to at Manuka Oval.

The Giants take on Carlton this weekend as they look to hold onto their undefeated start to 2024.

Sam Clohesy (NEW)

Gold Coast's mature-aged recruit has had a prolific start to his first fortnight in the top flight, with Saturday's outing against the Hawks rivalling his stellar debut at Gather Round.

Drafted out of Werribee after winning the Fothergill-Round-Mitchell Medal, Clohesy has seamlessly slotted into a half-back/wing role under Damien Hardwick to average 20 disposals, 1.5 goals, four marks and a disposal efficiency of 82.5%.

Clohesy's decision-making, composure and clean ball movement has seen him rise into fourth on our Rookie Rankings after just two matches, with a highlight on Saturday night coming from a long-range goal on the run.

The Suns will be hoping to make it consecutive wins when they travel to the SCG to face Sydney on Sunday.

Caleb Windsor (-)

The young Demons winger remains in our top five as teammate Blake Howes falls out, with the former of Thomas and Clohesy causing the change and now placing some pressure on Windsor's spot in the top three.

The Pick 7 selection has been consistent for the Demons across his first six games and will now earn a break, which is likely to see his place in our rankings slide by the time Melbourne return to the field for Round 7.

Windsor is averaging 13.8 disposals, 2.2 marks and 2.2 inside 50s per game while giving Simon Goodwin some fresh outside run to complement the Demons' strong midfield unit.

Following their bye, Melbourne will return to the MCG to face Richmond on the eve of Anzac Day as both sides look to bounce back from defeats.

Colby McKercher (-1)

The young Roos sensation lasted just half-a-quarter on Sunday after copping a large knock from Cats star Jeremy Cameron, with McKercher left with rib soreness and subsequently taken to hospital.

The teenager managed a handball and one clearance before the injury that brought his afternoon to an abrupt end.

The limited appearance and the form of last year's No.1 pick has seen McKercher's reign atop our Rookie Rankings come to an end, for this week at least. With a potential spell on the sidelines, it could be some time before the speedy midfielder takes back top spot.

Should McKercher be cleared to play in Round 6, then he and the Roos will take on the only other winless side in Hawthorn on Sunday.

Harley Reid (+1)

Each week we're getting a better idea of what Harley Reid will be offering the AFL in his maiden year at the elite level, with Sunday's performance against the Tigers his best yet in a West Coast jumper.

Offering the explosiveness and physicality that we've come to expect from the young star, Reid posted 27 disposals, 12 contested possessions, seven clearances and a goal to rank among the best afield in his side's first win of the season.

A Round 5 Rising Star nomination is just about a guarantee for Reid, who moves into top spot on our Rookie Rankings in style.

The Eagles sensation is likely to hold his place in pole position for another week or two unless there's a significant drop in form come West Coast's Round 6 clash with rivals Fremantle.