Welcome to Zero Hanger's top 50 player rankings for 2025 - a list based primarily on a player's 2025 production in addition to their career pedigree and future projections.
The bar is as high as ever to impact as an AFL footballer consistently, let alone to a star level. All-Australian discussions are in constant debate as several guns often find themselves snubbed from proper recognition.
Here is the second edition (40-31) of our top 50 AFL players right now...
READ: PART 1 (50-41)
32nd - Tristan Xerri
2024 rank: 39
While Xerri's season was disrupted by an untimely suspension, and his late-season form dipped following his return, it's hard to say there's a better ruck in the competition aside from Melbourne's Max Gawn.
Xerri's follow-up work is second to none, laying the most tackles by a ruckman by some way, whilst also leading the clearances among the competition's big men.
His impressive ground-ball rate sets him apart from the others in the league, and he was assertive with his hitouts to advantage, helping set up North Melbourne's strong clearance game.
Should North Melbourne finally ascend out of the league's basement in 2026, there's a good chance Xerri finally acquires that inaugural All-Australian blazer and potentially cracks the top 20 on our list in 12 months time.
