Zero Hanger's Rookie Rankings for the 2025 AFL season are underway, with the top five spots locked in after Round 1.
2025's Rookie Rankings will be our fourth edition, with Collingwood ace Nick Daicos (2022), North Melbourne gun Harry Sheezel (2023) and West Coast sensation Harley Reid (2024) all previous winners.
This year's rankings will start with power rankings of the top five debutants of the new year, with every six rounds to see another spot added to our rankings.
The opening two weeks of the AFL season, which tallied just 11 matches, included a total of 25 debutants, with several having standout performances to start their careers and new campaigns.
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, Daniel 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 1 Honourable Mentions:
Riley Bice (Sydney) - 12 disposals, 304 metres gained, 31% game time
Lucas Camporeale (Carlton) - 20 disposals, five tackles
Harry Boyd (St Kilda) - 12 disposals, four clearances, 27 hitouts
Luke Trainor (Richmond) - 15 disposals, five marks, 372 metres gained
1. Sam LalorÂ
The No.1 draft pick was sensational in his first outing in yellow and black, playing an integral role in what was one of the biggest upsets in recent times.
The Baccus Marsh junior looked to have shaken off a jaw injury from the pre-season to leave Carlton with headaches in Richmond's front half, with Lalor recording a team-high eight score involvements from his 18 disposals on Thursday night.
He would also boot two goals and assist another pair, while his link-up work and contested nous further up the field added to Lalor's highlights on debut.
Midfielder
Disposals
Goals
Goal Assists
The promising performance has strengthened Lalor's prospects as a chance to take out our Rookie Rankings come the end of the season, with the teenager set to hold a significant role under Adem Yze in his first year at Punt Road.
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