Magpies midfielder, Hawks young gun break into expanded top seven: AFL Rookie Rankings – Round 12

We have two new faces in our 2024 AFL Rookie Rankings as we grow to a top seven following the conclusion of Round 12.

As flagged at the beginning of the season, after every six rounds we will expand our rankings by one place, with a seventh name now added to the running.

That change has seen a Magpies midfielder and Hawks youngster come into the top seven, replacing injured Collingwood speedster Joe Richards.

Selection Criteria: For our Rookie Rankings, we are ONLY 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 before the 2024 season will not be considered. I.e. Rising Star eligible players such as George Wardlaw, Angus Sheldrick and Sam Darcy are ineligible, having already played an AFL match before Round 1, 2024. 

Honourable Mentions:
Charlie Dean (Collingwood)
Kane McAuliffe (Richmond)
Joel Freijah (Western Bulldogs)

Lachie Sullivan (NEW)

With our Rookie Rankings expanding to a top seven, Sullivan moves into the mix for the first time this year after a strong opening to his career with the Magpies.

The pre-season recruit has looked at ease at AFL level since being plucked from Footscray in the VFL, and has taken on a larger role than expected given Collingwood's current injury woes.

While Friday's performance against the Bulldogs wasn't Sullivan's best of the year, the mature-aged midfielder has continued to press his case for a spot in our rankings and this week gets the nod.

A King's Birthday clash against Melbourne looms as another chance for Sullivan to prove his value on the big stage.

Calsher Dear (NEW)

The high-flying Hawk continues to impress in his maiden season at the top level, with Saturday's outing against Adelaide another game that saw Dear perform maturely.

While the teenager only came away with six touches and a goal, his continued impact in the air and efforts alongside Jack Gunston as targets for Hawthorn midfielders certainly played a part in the victory.

He now has six goals from five games for the season and is doing a strong job in the absence of spearhead Mitch Lewis.

The Hawks head to Tassie this weekend to host GWS, where Dalsher looks set for a significant test against a formidable opposition rearguard.

Colby McKercher (-)

A return for McKercher could come this week when the Roos head west to face the Eagles as they continue to search for their first win of 2024.

An ongoing foot issue, aided by the club's recent bye, should near its end for McKercher and place him back in the race for the top of our Rookie Rankings.

With the Rising Star race also blown open, don't discount the Tasmanian teenager from taking out the title.

Sam Clohesy (-)

A quieter game for Clohesy but certainly not a poor one for the Gold Coast wingman, who at times got stuck on the open wing during his side's win over Essendon on Sunday.

Clohesy recorded 13 touches for a return of 240 metres gained as he continued to offer some run and clean ball movement on the outskirts of the Suns' humming engine room.

Now sitting in the top eight, Gold Coast have a chance to strengthen their finals chances this weekend when they head to Marvel Stadium on Saturday to face the Saints.

Caleb Windsor (-)

Another quiet performance for the Demons wingman, but with no standout performer on his tail Windsor holds his place in the top three.

It was a difficult afternoon for all Melbourne players as the Demons fell to Fremantle by 92 points in Alice Springs, with Windsor often beating when at the contest.

The young midfielder was able to make the most of his nine touches, with only one disposal failing to hit a target.

Melbourne have the chance to respond on Monday when they face Collingwood at the MCG, where Windsor thrives in the open space.

Darcy Wilson (-)

The hard-running Saint has perhaps emerged as the Rising Star favourite given the events of the weekend, one of which he was a part of.

With Harley Reid and Sam Darcy handed suspensions, the first-round draftee has a strong chance to take out the Rising Star Award given his consistent season so far.

Wilson continued his form on Saturday against Reid's Eagles, collecting 14 disposals and three tackles after shaking off a heavy tackle that saw him require some time in the hands of medical staff.

A clash with the Suns - another winnable game for the Saints - is a great chance for Wilson to strengthen his push toward the top of our Rookie Rankings also.

Harley Reid (-)

It was a game of two halves for Harley Reid, who was arguably the best player on the field to the main break before copping the clamps from St Kilda's Marcus Windhager.

Reid was quickly cooled as he learnt to deal with a tag, and his frustrations grew with a number of errors that saw his scintillating game fall flat.

A two-game suspension for a dangerous tackle on Darcy Wilson will see Reid miss the next three weeks, with West Coast also scheduled for a bye in the coming weeks.

His extended absence could open the door for the likes of Wilson and Windsor to close the gap atop our Rookie Rankings.