Photo by Cameron Grimes / Zero Digital Media
Round 1 of the new season introduced the league to a bunch of fresh faces as many rookies made their long-awaited debut.
From draftees to mature-aged recruits, these new players were thrown right into the thick of things from the get-go. The first round of the 2022 season was more than eventful, and had plenty to offer in terms of action and drama, meaning the debutants needed to step up if they wanted to stand out amongst the league's best. And that they did. But which rookies stood out the most?
For our power ranking, we are taking a look at players who have only just made their debut this season. Other players who may still be eligible for a Rising Star nomination but have already made their debut previously will not be considered.
Round 1 Honourable Mentions:
Connor MacDonald (Hawthorn) - 16 disposals, 6 contested possessions, three marks
Jackson Mead - (Port Adelaide) - 10 disposals, two marks, three tackles
Kaine Baldwin - (Essendon) - seven disposals, three marks
Angus Sheldrick - (Sydney - eight disposals, one mark
The number one draft pick showed glimpses of what he is capable of in his debut against Hawthorn. Playing in the forward line, Horne-Francis looked incredibly strong on the ball, holding his own against some of the Hawks' bigger-bodied players. He also showcased his quick thinking and goal-scoring prowess with an impressive snap around the body in the second quarter.
Horne-Francis finished his first game with 13 disposals, six score involvements and three marks, standing out as one of the better players in a lacklustre North squad.
Midfield
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
All eyes were on Nick Daicos as he stepped out onto Marvel Stadium for the first time in his AFL career. The young midfielder had incredibly high expectations to meet in his debut game for the black and white, and he didn’t disappoint.
Starting on the half-back flank, Daicos lived up to the hype and delivered an excellent first game in the convincing Collingwood win.
The 19-year-old had 27 disposals working with 70% accuracy, while also having five marks and four tackles, outshining many of his more experienced teammates.
The mature-aged rookie has waited a long time to get drafted to an AFL list, and put on quite the show in his debut game to reward the Saints for picking him up.
The 25-year-old put on an aerial masterclass, looking almost unstoppable in the air with every ball seemingly sticking to his hands. The key forward also did his job on the scoresheet, looking very dangerous in front of goal.
Although the Saints fell short, Hayes was arguably one of the best players on the ground, recording 10 marks, scoring three goals while also racking up 18 disposals.
Forward
Goals
Marks
Tackles
In what was an incredibly tight game between the Crows and the Dockers, debutant Josh Rachele stole the show with his incredible goal-scoring display. The 18-year-old forward kicked a bag of five in his first game, featuring a combination of set shots, snaps from the boundary and smart roving skills, displaying all the necessary qualities of an elite small forward.
Rachele also looked quite good on the ball, gathering 14 disposals, five marks and three tackles in the narrow one-point loss.
Forward
Goals
Marks
Tackles
The second debutant to put on an elite goal-scoring display in his first professional game, Martin put the Dons on his back with an impressive five-goal haul against the Cats.
Essendon were disappointing against an experienced Geelong outfit, but Martin managed to stand out as one of the players of the match, leading the game in goals scored while still putting up solid statistics across the board.
As well as kicking five goals at 100% scoring accuracy, the first-gamer gathered an incredible 27 possessions with an elite 89% disposal efficiency, while also managing 10 marks.