Our final Rookie Rankings for the 2024 AFL season, with the top eight for the year unveiled after 25 weeks and plenty of changes.
This year's rankings underwent constant alterations throughout the home and away seasons, while the top few contenders often held their own toward the summit.
Taking into consideration each player's impact, consistency, longevity and roles after making their debuts this year, our top eight rookies for the year have been decided.
And before we delve into our final rankings, we must credit the bevy of young players who fell just short...
2024 Honourable Mentions:
Calsher Dear
Logan Evans
Harvey Thomas
Joel Freijah
Joshua Draper
Darcy Jones
Selection Criteria:ย For ourย 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 Darcyย are ineligible, having already played anย AFL match before Round 1, 2024.ย
4. Shaun Mannagh (-)
A Cinderella story for the Cats' mature-aged recruit, who was drafted to the club last November as a 26-year-old off the back of a stunning season with VFL outfit Werribee.
Mannagh made his debut in Round 1 as the tactical sub and held his spot for one more week, managing to boot his first AFL goal from 13 touches in a win over Adelaide before falling back out of the side.
The lively midfield-forward would earn a recall in Round 17 and hasn't looked back since, booting ten goals and not going under 12 disposals to hold his spot for the rest of the season.
Mannagh ranks eighth in the competition for goals per game from midfielders at 1.10 per game, coming behind the likes of Chad Warner, Marcus Bontempelli and Shai Bolton, among others.
He booted two goals in four straight games and ended that streak over the weekend with one major from an equal career-best 21 disposals against West Coast.
Forward
Disposals
Marks
Goals
Mannagh is another member of our Rookie Rankings who will suit up in September, with Geelong set to head to Adelaide Oval to face the Power in a qualifying final.
