Round 10 shone a light on multiple underrated recruits, two players in particular standing out with notable performances over the weekend.
Those two players, a Blue key defender and a Crows forward, enter the top eight Power Rankings for the first time, while Fremantle's star signing makes his move into the top five after another dominant weekend inside forward 50.
So, who's making the most impact in their new colours? Welcome to the weekly ranking of the Recruit of the Year contenders for 2025, with Round 10 giving us plenty to consider.
8. Nick Haynes (NEW)
After a dour patch of play in Carlton's opening month of the season, former Giant Nick Haynes has found a string of superb form in the last six weeks and now deservedly finds himself on this list.
Hayne has asserted himself as an anchor for the Blues backline, averaging 9.8 marks per game, 4.2 being intercepts, along with 8.1 intercept possessions per game since Round 4. His resilience has been enormous for Carlton, who are conceding three points per game fewer in the last six weeks since Haynes' improvement began. If you exclude Adelaide's 110-point outing in Round 7 as an anomaly, Carlton's defence has conceded on average just 67.4 points per game from Gather Round onward, a decrease of nearly ten points per game compared to rounds 1-4.
Haynes' disposal efficiency has also skyrocketed, which will please Blues fans as it appeared to be a major concern in the first month of the season. He's been using the ball effectively 88.1% of the time since Round 4, a promising jump from 73% efficiency in the first four rounds.
While the Blues' loss to Sydney will sting with their top eight hopes now on thin ice, Nick Haynes was arguably best on for Carlton on Friday night. He led the match in spoils with seven and generated seven rebound 50s, highlighting how pivotal he has become for the Blues, stopping scores and generating attacks from their defensive half.
A massive fixture against his old club looms this weekend, but it's hard not to pick the Blues to snare an important win with Haynes' recent play.
