THE EARLY picks at every year's NAB AFL Draft get all the attention, but rookie selections regularly play important parts in premiership team.

So, who is the best rookie of the past five years?

It's a debate had on this week's AFL Exchange episode, with a myriad of names – of differing roles, position and profile – raised to claim the mantle.

Only one can be crowned the best rookie of recent times.

Find AFL Exchange on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts and Spotify.

Join AFL.com.au reporters Callum Twomey, Mitch Cleary and Riley Beveridge for the latest whispers as the guys take you inside the AFL and delve into the big questions surrounding the game – and some of the not so big.

In this week's episode...
The guys chat about who they expect to drop out of the top eight, the players you refuse to give up on, the best things heard at the footy, the latest on coaching changes, which ruckmen could switch clubs, and the all-time AFL lookalikes.

Episode guide

1:35 – Which are the clubs most likely to drop out of the eight before the end of the season, and who could jump in? 

4:15 – Who's the player you refuse to give up on?

8:30 – The guys name the best rookie selection of the past five years? 

14:15 – With trade whispers ramping up, we look at the ruckmen in demand around the competition.

16:10 – How many more coaching changes can we expect before 2020? 

20:40 – What's the best thing you've heard in the crowd at the footy?

27:20 – If you could introduce or get rid of one AFL rule, what would it be?

29:00 – We rank our top-three theme songs around the competition.

30:30 – Name the best redemption story of 2019 – the player you thought was gone but has proved you wrong?