Round 2 of the AFL season has led to several changes to our Rookie Rankings as we work through the early weeks of the new campaign, with a new leader and a fresh face among our top five after the weekend's results.
A Lions young gun has taken a Tiger's early lead, while a Demons winger has joined them on the podium.
A Swans draftee has taken a fellow mature-ager's spot in fifth to round out our Rookie Rankings after Round 2, while there were four honourable mentions from the eight games.
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.
Round 1 Honourable Mentions:
Christian Moraes (Port Adelaide) - 17 disposals, six marks, 94% disposal efficiency
Will McLachlan (Brisbane) - Two goals, eight disposals, four contested possessions
Jack Henderson (Melbourne) - 13 disposals, five tackles, one goal
Tom Edwards (Essendon) - Eight disposals, three tackles, three goals
The Swans draftee had his first full game in the red and white on Sunday, starting as the sub in his debut outing against the Lions last weekend.
Bice looks to have comfortably slotted into a defensive role under Dean Cox, with his attacking avenues a highlight of both of his performances to date.
The Werribee product was among Sydney's best in their thrilling three-point win over Fremantle, booting a memorable first career goal after running up the wing and kicking truly on the run.
Bice also had a pair of crucial kicks to set the Swans' ball movement up through the corridor, with the mature-aged recruit looking settled into his role already.
The Swans will have their early season bye this weekend before an enticing matchup with North Melbourne in Round 4.
Off the back of his four-goal debut display, Reid had a quite outing in his maiden home game in purple but still managed to find the ball as a half-forward threat for Fremantle.
The Pick 17 selection had 14 disposals, six contested possessions and close to 300 metres gain in the narrow loss to Sydney to add to his strong debut performance.
While he couldn't add to his goal tally, Reid recorded five score involvements and a goal assist in his second game for Fremantle.
A player made for the spotlight, watch out for Reid this weekend as the winless Dockers and Eagles clash in search of their first win for 2025.
The Melbourne wingman has enjoyed a stellar first fortnight at AFL level, adding another 20 disposals to his season tally after a positive debut performance the week prior.
Lindsay recorded six tackles, seven contested possessions, four score involvements and a pair of clearances against North Melbourne on Sunday to earn a rise in our Rookie Rankings.
The Gippsland Power product again used the ball cleanly too, going at a disposal efficiency rating of 85 per cent.
Melbourne, who are winless from their two games, will host Gold Coast at the MCG on Saturday for their Round 3 game.
After taking an early lead, the reigning No.1 pick has moved to second spot in our Rookie Rankings following the Tigers' heavy loss to Port Adelaide on Saturday.
Lalor still had an impact in the forward half, booting a goal from his 10 disposals and laying four tackles.
He also saw an increase in his midfield minutes, featuring in almost half of the Tigers' centre bounce attendances as he looks to grow his game as a dual position threat.
It was a difficult slog for the young Tigers unit, which will look to bounce back on Saturday when they face the Saints.
The consistency and combination of Ashcroft's strong debut performance and promising second outing have seen him rise to top spot in our Rookie Rankings after Round 2.
The Lions father-son selection recorded 17 disposals, eight marks, four score involvements, and two intercept possessions as a full-time wingman for Chris Fagan on Sunday in the win over West Coast.
His hard-working efforts and smart ball use were among the positives for Ashcroft in his second game, with his strong runs on the board from Round 1 aiding his move to pole position.
The Lions will be tested again this weekend when they host Geelong at the Gabba, with Ashcroft potentially going up against reigning Rising Star winner Ollie Dempsey.
![](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,<svg height="400px" width="1000px" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" version="1.1"/>)