Welcome to this week’s ‘Rookie Watch’, where we take a closer look at the rookie players who made their debut over the weekend and assess their potential for future AFL Fantasy scoring. As we all know, rookies can be a make or break in AFL Fantasy, and finding those hidden gems early can give you a significant advantage over your competitors. So, without further ado, let’s dive into some of the performances of the rookies and evaluate their potential for the future.

Jhye Clark – Geelong

The Cat’s first-round draftee from last year entered the game late as the sub and made an impact in limited minutes. He was thrown to the wolves in some respects, attending eight CBAs in the absence of some regular Cats on-ballers. Clark laid five tackles and accumulated six disposals for 36 points.

Bailey Humphrey – Gold Coast

Humphrey has gone from strength to strength in recent weeks, and his 20 disposals, five marks, five tackles, a goal and 94 AFL Fantasy points against West Coast was a terrific return. He’s shown some exciting glimpses as a half-forward, but his future lies in the midfield. That’s where he’ll do his most damage and scoring will reflect that.

Reuben Ginbey – West Coast

In a game where Matty Rowell laid 17 tackles, Ginbey’s 16 may float under the radar. Jeez, the lad can lay a tackle. I reckon they’d hurt a bit too. Had 12 disposals, mostly handballs, and 96 points. If he can just start to find more of the ball, which will come with experience, he can be a top-scoring midfielder.

Neil Erasmus – Fremantle

Erasmus was a prized draft pick at the time for Fremantle and he’s showing why many rated him highly. Fremantle knocked off last year’s runners up and Erasmus had an impact through the middle, attending six centre bounces and winning four total clearances. Ten of his 15 possessions were contested and he laid six tackles for 73 points. 

Harry Sheezel – North Melbourne

The Kangaroos were smashed by Port but Sheezel did his thing again, gathering 22 disposals, four marks and four tackles for 81 AFL Fantasy points. The fact that these stats are considered well below par speaks volumes to his production thus far.

Josh Weddle – Hawthorn

I liked the performance of Josh Weddle on the weekend. Playing across half-back he used the ball really well, 93% efficiency in fact. Pushed forward in the last quarter to kick his first AFL goal. Interested to see where he ends up spending his time, and where he scores best because he can play most positions on the ground.  

Will Ashcroft – Brisbane

The father-son star had an enjoyable day out at the Gabba against the Bombers, collecting 28 disposals, seven marks, four tackles and 109 points. That’s two fantasy tons in three weeks for the teenager. He’s starting to turn the high disposal numbers into bigger scores with some more tackling and marking around the ground which is a great sign. Not that we ever doubted him.

Ollie Hollands – Carlton 

The Blues winger was subbed out against the Western Bulldogs but doesn’t appear to be in danger of missing any weeks. That said, the Blues might look to give him a rest soon. Continues to score at a reasonable click. Could he reach the fantasy heights of an Andrew Gaff in his heyday?

Luke Pedlar – Adelaide

Pedlar is really starting to hit his straps after being given an extended run in the side this season and remaining injury-free (touch wood). Kicked a sensational early goal which set the tone for the Crows, but it was his six CBAs that stood out. He managed three centre clearances and showed everyone his blend of strength, power and contested ball winning. Kicked another goal later in the contest and also accumulated a career-high 16 disposals and 80 points.