The top five from last week's Rookie Rankings has undergone sweeping changes, with a new name taking pole position while another fresh face breaking in.
A young Docker has been usurped for the top spot, while a mature-aged Swan has jumped two places for his Gather Round performance.
Melbourne's Harvey Langford is continuing to build a case for a top-five spot, while No.1 pick Sam Lalor falls out of our rankings due to missing Round 5 through injury and the form of others.
Our Rookie Rankings will extend to a top six after Round 6, with a new rung to be added every half-dozen weeks.
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 5 Honourable Mentions:
Tom Gross (West Coast) - 18 disposals, four marks, three tackles
Harvey Langford (Melbourne) - 23 disposals, eight contested possessions, three clearances
Max Hall (St Kilda) - 17 disposals, one goal
Finn O'Sullivan (North Melbourne) - 15 disposals, 365 metres gained, 80 per cent disposal efficiency
Tom Hanily (Sydney) - 11 disposals, two goals, 90 per cent efficiency
4. Luke Trainor (NEW)
The Richmond defender gets his breakthrough into our rankings, which has been a long time coming given his consistency across his five games in the yellow and black.
Trainor's past fortnight has been exceptional, with the intercepting backman having a strong day out in the Barossa on Sunday to earn his spot at fourth overall.
The Sandringham Dragons product amassed 22 disposals, 10 marks and over 400 metres gained against the Dockers.
While the Tigers suffered a heavy loss, Trainor remained a balanced operator down back and could benefit from the potential return of Noah Balta this week.
