After cooling off across the bye rounds, our AFL Rookie Rankings are back as the race continues through the final stretch of the 2022 season.
The past three weeks have seen a bevy of debutants emerge on the scene, while some household names continue to place themselves among the competition's best young stars.
In our first Rookie Rankings adjustment since Round 11 we've seen another lead change, a new contender emerge from St Kilda and a Port Adelaide ruckman bow out.
Criteria: For our Rookie Rankings, we are selecting 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 prior to the 2022 season will not be considered.
I.e. players like Jai Newcombe, Jake Bowey, Corey Durdin and Sam De Koning are ineligible.ย
VIEW:ย PRE-BYE ROUND RANKINGS
Bye round Honourable Mentions
Massimo D'Ambrosio (Round 14 vs St Kilda)
15 disposals, three intercepts, 80% disposal efficiency
Judson Clarke (Round 13 vs Port Adelaide)
11 disposals, two goals, three tackles
Jacob Wehr (Round 14 vs Western Bulldogs)
14 disposals, 358 metres gained, 92.9% disposal efficiency
4. Jason Horne-Francis (-)
The No.1 Pick has endured a difficult first year in the AFL, having been heavily scrutinised despite his best efforts on-field.
While speculation surrounds the 18-year-old, Horne-Francis has continued to impress with his ability to faultlessly transition into the top tier, being among the Kangaroos' more relied-on midfielders.
The South Adelaide product had perhaps his poorest outing of the year against GWS in Round 12, collecting eight possessions and laying two tackles, but the young gun has plenty of runs on the board this year.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
He'll face the tough task of retaining his place among the top four of our Rookie Rankings after being hit with a two-game suspension, making his return in Round 17 against Collingwood.
