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: 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.
7. Colby McKercher (-)
The Kangaroos young gun shook off a niggling foot injury to end his rookie season on a high.
McKercher seamlessly slotted into Harry Sheezel's free-flowing defensive role and really found his groove by the midway point of the season, recording 22 or more disposals in nine straight games from Round 7 onwards.
Six of those performances included of 30 or more disposals, with the Tasmanian speedster amassing a career-best 37 touches on two occasions.
McKercher was relied on as the Roos' ball user from the last line, often taking kick-outs to source attacking avenues for Alastair Clarkson's side.
He was an early leader in our Rookie Rankings but soon fell several spots due to a foot injury, which kept him on the sidelines for a large portion of the year.
McKercher returned for the last month of the home and away season and found himself further up the field to show off his attacking nous and ball-winning ability in the front half.
