The Rookie Rankings after Round 18 have seen two more youngsters break into the top six, replacing Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera and Massimo D'Ambrosio at fifth and sixth.
A young Hawk put in arguably the best performance of the weekend, while his teammate narrowly misses out on a spot in our Rankings, with the pair both earning honourable mentions for their parts in Hawthorn's win over the Eagles.
A young Roo breaks into the top six and jumps into fifth, while out top two further extend their placing at the top.
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.
I.e. players likeย Jai Newcombe,ย Jake Bowey,ย Corey Durdinย andย Sam De Koningย are ineligible.
VIEW: ROUND 17 RANKINGS
Round 18 Honourable Mentions
Josh Ward (Hawthorn)
34 disposals, 7 marks, 5 tackles, 6 clearances
A dominant performance for the young Hawk who has worked himself back from a concussion scare.
Josh Carmichael (Collingwood)
24 disposals, 8 tackles, 448 metres gained, 1 goal
Was among the Magpies' best ball winners in the engine room. 24 touches, all kicks.
Noah Cumberland (Richmond)
3 goals, 14 disposals, 4 marks, 4 tackles
A key part in Richmond's avenue to goal, booting a team-high three majors.
Connor MacDonald (Hawthorn)
13 disposals, 7 tackles, 5 marks, 2 goals
Another strong performance for the first-year Hawk. Narrowly misses a top six spot.
4. Josh Gibcus (-)
Gibcus' return from illness didn't quite go to plan, suffering a shoulder injury in the loss to North Melbourne that forced young Tiger to be subbed out of the match.
The promising defender was limited in his ability to impact the game before the ailment, recording just three disposals, two marks and the sole spoil.
After slipping from the top three last week, Gibcus could face a further fall in the coming weeks should the setback force the teenager to the sidelines for the rounds ahead.
Defender
Marks
Disposals
Tackles
Gibcus will be needing to prove his fitness in the coming days in hope of lining up against the Dockers on Friday night.
