Several recruits starred over the long Easter weekend as footy fans were treated to several thrilling contests.
A Fremantle forward has jumped up into the top four as his scoreboard impact continues to mount, while the Bulldogs' dominant win over St Kilda sees their star recruit leapfrog a Saints midfield acquisition.
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 6 giving us plenty to consider.
3. Shai Bolton (+4)
In his return to his former home deck, Bolton was sensational for a Fremantle team that failed to seize the moment against Melbourne at the MCG.
Shai kicked three goals as comfortably as he's appeared since joining the Dockers in the off-season. Most impressively, however, was Bolton's overall scoreboard impact, directly assisting on two goals and finishing with 12 score involvements total for the match, a game high. It's also the highest number of scores he's contributed to in a match since his 13 score involvements in Round 8, 2023. Considering this was achieved from just 20 disposals and a team-high nine marks, it's safe to say Bolton's status as one of the league's premier small forwards has been solidified at Freo.
While Bolton jumped into the limelight with this performance against the Demons, this isn't new. In three of the last four weeks, Bolton has had 10 score involvements or more, and after the completion of Round 6, only Matt Rowell averages more score involvements per game in the entire league (minimum three games played). Furthermore, Bolton's involvement in his team's total scores (35.2%) is only outdone by Toby Greene (36.3%) and Kysiah Pickett (38.3%). That's pretty good company to be in, especially when he's been required to adjust to a completely new system.
