This weekend's action has seen a new face emerge into our top six Rookie Rankings for the 2022 season, with a young Port Adelaide ruckman making his first appearance.
With several of the season's top rookies were absent from Round 9, little movement ensued among the top, however Crow Josh Rachele has fallen out of the top six after a quiet past month.
Saint Marcus Windhager was emphatic after coming onto the field as the medical sub in the Saints' win over Geelong, while Giant Cooper Hamilton and Bomber Ben Hobbs also earned honourable mentions from the weekend.
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.
VIEW:ย ROUND 8 RANKINGS
Round 9 Honourable Mentions
Cooper Hamilton (GWS Giants)
19 disposals, 257 metres gained, 84.2 disposal efficiencyย
A season-high 19 possessions in his third AFL game, with Hamilton continuing to play a hard-nosed defensive role for the Giants. Is contending closely with top draftee Finn Callaghan as the club's best first-year player.
Marcus Windhager (St Kilda)
15 disposals, seven score involvements, 86.7 disposal efficiency
Was arguably the standout rookie of the weekend after starting as the medical sub against the Cats before having a significant impact on the game with just 56% time on ground. Another performance like Saturday's will see Windhager among the top six in our rankings.
Ben Hobbs (Essendon)
17 disposals, one goal, three clearances, five marks
Added to his impressive Round 8 game against the Hawks with another strong outing on the weekend, albeit in a damning loss to the Swans. Has looked to have locked his spot in Ben Rutten's 22.
6. Nathan O'Driscoll (-1)
Is likely to continue to slide after suffering a foot injury last week and faces at least a month on the sidelines due to the setback.
A return date is likely to come after the Dockers' Round 14 bye, which precedes a tough run of games against the Blues, Power, Saints, Swans, Tigers, Demons and Dogs.
Midfielder
Disposals
Tackles
Clearances
Should O'Driscoll return to his best once his recuperation is concluded, there's little doubt we'll see the young wingman back in our rankings at the latter end of the year.
