The top three remain unchanged in the Recruit of the Year power rankings as a Kangaroo's case for a top-five spot grows.

A Saint star returns to the top four after a glistening performance under the roof, while one Sun has a lot to prove in the coming weeks to stop a slide down the rankings.

Who's making the most impact in their new colours? Welcome to the weekly rankings of the Recruit of the Year contenders for 2025, with Round 15 giving us plenty to consider.

8James Peatling (NEW)

Out of all of the 2025 recruits, Adelaide's James Peatling has possibly provided the most bang for buck. The Crows traded a future second-round pick to the Giants for Peatling and two future GWS draft selections, and so far, that looks like a fleece for the tricolours.

Amongst players who moved clubs last off-season, four are averaging career-highs in disposals per game. Amongst them, Peatling has had the biggest jump, going from 13.8 disposals in 2024 with the Giants to 20.1 with the Crows (+6.3). John Noble trails him in second, increasing his previous career-best average of 20.4 by 4.2 disposals to 24.6.

Peatling's improvement is across the board, however. He's averaging more inside 50s and clearances than he did in his first three seasons and is winning contested footy at a high rate too, with 9.8 contested possessions per game. That ranks fourth on the Crows list. The value Adelaide has got out of Peatling has truly been unexpected in the best way possible, and it's why he deserves to claim a spot in the top eight.

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