Our Rookie Rankings after Round 12 have seen a Saints midfield-forward return for the second time as our top six extends to seven names at the midway mark of the year.
Max Hall's return, which is his third appearance of the year, sees him surpass a Tigers rookie and sit in sixth overall.
The change has also seen a young Demon move into the top five, sitting right behind his teammate and the incumbent names in this year's rankings.
With the Mid-Season Draft now over, a host of new names are in line to debut in the coming weeks and could be pressing their case for a spot in our top seven.
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 12 Honourable Mentions
Tobie Travaglia (St Kilda) - 13 disposals, 7 marks, 1 goal
Isaac Keeler (St Kilda) - 10 disposals, 6 marks, 3 goals
Thomas Sims (Richmond) - 13 disposals, 7 marks, 8 contested possessions
Campbell Gray (Richmond) - 13 disposals, 5 marks, 6 contested possessions
7. Luke Trainor (-2)
The first-round draftee has had a quieter past fortnight, having been moved forward for Round 11 before being subbed out on Saturday against GWS.
Given Richmond's humming engine room, Trainor couldn't have the same impact we've come to expect from the intercepting defender, who amassed just six effective touches in the narrow defeat.
He was subbed out of the contest as momentum swung in favour of the Giants, cutting short an appearance that followed a difficult outing in attack the week prior.
The Tigers return to the MCG on Saturday to face the out-of-form Swans, who could be susceptible to Adem Yze's side in Round 13.
