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.
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.
It's time Peatling got some love, as the Crows forward recruit once again provided a solid effort despite the loss to the Magpies on the weekend. He collected 22 disposals at the MCG on Saturday afternoon, his sixth 20-plus disposal outing in seven weeks. He's now averaging over 20 per game, a significant leap from his previous career best of 13.8 per game.
Peatling has been an elite goal creator for Adelaide so far in 2025. The former Giant is averaging career highs in score involvements per game (5.2) and direct goal assists (1.4). While he hasn't hit the scoreboard much himself, he hasn't needed to with Adelaide still boasting the strongest forward line in the competition as well as the most effective attack.
The consistent form of Peatling has no doubt elevated Adelaide into a contending status as they look to play in the finals for the first time since 2017. What's arguably been most impressive is his development from a fringe player at GWS to a key cog in the Crows system. Considering Adelaide landed him for just a third and fourth-round draft pick, they've certainly received more than they bargained for in the best way possible. This offseason pick-up looks to be a steal, and it's why his value has earned him a spot in the Power Rankings.
The Hawks couldn't manage to break Gold Coast's unbeaten streak in Darwin, but Josh Battle continues to prove his value in their back six. His team-high six spoils were vital in keeping the Suns' key forwards quiet relative to their standards, Ben King kicking just two goals.
The Hawks have a tough fixture ahead of them, playing every other top-six side across their next month of football. If they are to firmly cement themselves as a legitimate premiership contender, the quality of football from their key defenders is paramount. Only time will tell how well Battle contributes to that cause.
The Dockers remain the AFL's most polarising team, shocking everyone with a 34-point win against GWS at Engie Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Shai Bolton is a strong chance to receive three votes from the match, with his 24 disposals and three goals leading the Dockers' attack. Had Fremantle kicked more accurately, this very well could have been a blowout.
Bolton once again positioned himself as an elite threat inside 50. With some calling for him to play on the wing or from half back to make more of an impact around the contest, he quietened the forward doubts with ten score involvements and five ground ball wins inside forward 50 alone. His dynamic role, which included attending 48% of centre bounces, saw him win three centre clearances and rack up 12 contested possessions, only outdone by Luke Jackson.
It's become clear that when Bolton is at his best, so are Fremantle. His value in creating success at his club is only outdone by a handful of other recruits.
The Saints' loss to West Coast was embarrassing, wasteful going inside 50 as they converted on just 42.6% of their entries. St Kilda can at least continue to be buoyed by Jack Macrae's efforts, however, as he once again dominated in the contest with 13 contested possessions and a game-high 11 ground ball gets.
There aren't many better players at stoppages than Macrae, winning six other clearances from there on the weekend, taking his season average to 5.5 per game. Only GWS' Tom Green averages more this season (5.6).
St Kilda ranked bottom four in the competition for stoppage clearances in 2024, but since adding Jack Macrae to lead their midfield foray, they rank sixth. It's a sizable improvement that has helped St Kilda's attacking build-up.
While their September credentials are now in significant doubt, if there's anyone to save this sinking St Kilda ship, it will be Jack Macrae under the roof against the Suns next Sunday.
The Suns' eighth consecutive Darwin masterclass was led by none other than John Noble on Thursday night, breaking the one-kilometre mark for metres gained in a single match for the first time this season. While Bulldog Bailey Dale's 1016 metres gained from 49 disposals would soon surpass Noble's 1001, Noble did his from 13 fewer possessions, a career-high 36 disposals.
From these touches, he also generated eight inside 50s, also a career-high and seven rebound 50s. The Suns simply outclassed the Hawks in the end, Noble's value becoming increasingly obvious to their success. Gold Coast don't just stand as Finals contenders now, but a legitimate premiership threat and Noble's role in that development is hard to ignore.
The Bulldogs presented a strong case to be a top-four side on Saturday night as they waltzed past the Bombers, blowing them out of the park with a 68-9 first half. The Bombers had no answer for the Dogs' midfield, where Matthew Kennedy was unsurprisingly involved in almost every play.
Kennedy's 31 disposals, two shy of a career-high, will probably go under the radar considering the mammoth effort from teammate Bailey Dale, but his nine score involvements and three inside 50s from these possessions should not go underappreciated.
Despite attending just 58% of centre bounces, pushed out from attending more due to the Dogs' midfield depth, he still won three centre clearances, only outdone by Tim English's four.
Thursday night looms as a titanic clash for the Bulldogs as they look to knock off a firing Geelong side, and Kennedy's efforts in the middle and up forward will undoubtedly be critical in stealing the win down the highway.
The Cats are back on track with a 76-point romping of Port Adelaide, and Bailey Smith was again at the helm of the win. His nine inside 50s led the game, plus he was involved in a third of Geelong's scores. Tack on another 30 disposals and he's not just become an All-Australian pick, but many see him as a Brownlow favourite now too.
It's truly been a comeback season Smith could have only dreamed of, his 30.7 disposals per game only outdone by GWS' Tom Green (32.2). He's in the upper echelon of inside 50s generated per game and amongst midfielders ranks top ten in almost every possession-based category. With injuries to Jack Bowes and Patrick Dangerfield souring the win, Bailey Smith's play becomes even more critical with a clash against the old mob on Thursday night, a game you know he's had circled for a long time.
