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.Â
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
5. Xavier Lindsay (+1)
The Demons wingman could have had a monster afternoon in Alice Springs on Sunday had it not been for an inaccurate day in front of goal, which cursed several other Melbourne players against the Saints.
Lindsay booted three behinds from as many shots on goal, failing to hit the target as the Demons looked to close in on St Kilda in the Northern Territory.
Lindsay still came away from the contest with 14 disposals at over 70 per cent efficiency and also recorded 322 metres gained in what was another positive outing for the Demons flaker.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Looking to return to winning ways this week, Melbourne will host Collingwood at the MCG for the annual King's Birthday game.
