Tiger breaks barrier, Saint slides: AFL Rookie Rankings

The weekend's action has seen the leaderboard of our Rookie Rankings take a new shape, with Tigers defender Josh Gibcus breaking into the top five as Saint Jack Hayes falls out of the frame.

Nic Martin's return has placed the exciting young Bomber back on the podium, rejoining two of the top picks from last year's National Draft.

Hawks pair Josh Ward and Connor MacDonald continue to impress, however remain on the periphery, while Port Adelaide's Jackson Mead was impressive during the Showdown.

For our Rookie Rankings, we are taking a look at 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 previously will not be considered.

VIEW: ROUND 2 RANKINGS

Round 3 Honourable Mentions:

Reef McInnes (Collingwood) - 14 possessions, six score involvements, five inside 50s
Neil Erasmus (Fremantle) - 18 possessions, four marks, seven score involvements
Josh Ward (Hawthorn) - 20 possessions, eight contested possessions, three clearances
Jackson Mead (Port Adelaide) - 18 possessions, four tackles, three clearances

Josh Rachele (-3)

The exciting Crows forward would've enjoyed his maiden Showdown, with Adelaide coming away victors thanks to a post-siren set shot from Jordan Dawson.

Another goal to his tally saw Rachele notch up his seventh major from the opening three rounds as he leads the Crows' goalkicking to start the season.

Another test for the Crows this week as they travel to Victoria to face Essendon, with Rachele hopeful of continuing his bright start campaign.

Josh Gibcus (New)

The Tigers defender makes his debut in our rankings after another strong outing in Richmond's defence.

While his side wasn't able to come away with a win, Gibcus was resilient in his efforts throughout the loss to St Kilda - holding down a key role in the absence of Nick Vlastuin and Dylan Grimes, with the latter subbed out of the match.

Having earned an honourable mention for Round 2, Gibcus' past fortnight has seen the teenager shoot up our rankings thanks to his strong aerial abilities and ball movement out of defence.

Nic Martin (+2)

The Bombers rookie made his return to Ben Rutten's side after undergoing AFL health and safety protocols during Round 2 and failed to look out of place in his second showing for Essendon.

While it wasn't the dazzling five-goal haul that fans had been welcomed to in Round 1, Martin continued to play a prominent role in attack and on the wing for the Bombers - albeit in a loss.

Another 20 disposals, eight marks and three clearances have Martin in good stead for further ascendancy up our Rookie Rankings.

The Bombers will welcome Adelaide in Round 4, an opportune affair for Martin to add to his impressive start to the year.

Jason Horne-Francis (+1)

While the Kangaroos will quickly look to put Saturday night's drubbing behind them, Jason Horne-Francis was among the small number of highlights for David Noble's side.

The South Australian was among the top five ball winners for North Melbourne, with Horne-Francis collecting 21 touches (11 contested) and five clearances as he continues to cut his teeth in the AFL.

The Roos are facing the likelihood of a winless opening month to the season as they travel to New South Wales this week in a clash with Sydney.

While the Shinboners will be unfavoured for the spoils, Horne-Francis has proven to be a shining light in a disappointing run.

Nick Daicos (-)

The prized Magpie was once again among the leading ball winners for his side, collecting 26 possessions to bring his season average to 25 disposals per game and retain his place at No.1 on the Rookie Rankings.

While Collingwood capitulated in the final term to land their first defeat of the season, Daicos' performance was highlighted by a career-first goal - booting a stunning shot from almost 50 metres out on a tough angle.

The teenager also added nine contested possessions, five clearances and six score involvements for the match.

Daicos will be prime to continue his run atop our rankings when the Magpies welcome West Coast to Marvel Stadium on Saturday.