There's been plenty of movement within the top eight as a veteran Giant recruit officially makes his debut in the Recruit of the Year power rankings.

A Dockers forward has jumped into the top two with another captivating performance in a Fremantle win. At the same time, a Gold Coast defender has exacted revenge over his former club with one of his best performances of the season.

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 18 giving us plenty to consider.

Jake Stringer (NEW)

It took a couple of months, but Jake Stringer's presence on the 'Big Big Sound' is unmissable now. The former Bomber has been plagued by injuries this season, affecting his ability to get up and fire consistently, but the 31-year-old has found peak form in the past month.

It culminated in a four-goal effort against the Cats on Saturday afternoon, leading the Giants' second-quarter charge that was ultimately the difference maker. In his last five games, Stringer has now kicked 12 goals and won 12 forward 50 ground balls, leading the Giants in that latter stat over those five matches.

GWS' forward line is arguably the most dynamic in the league at the moment, with young gun Aaron Cadman entering a patch of career-best form. The Giants have a plethora of targets inside 50 that make their entries incredibly unpredictable, and it has allowed Stringer to thrive with his smart positioning around the drop of the ball, turning GWS into a legitimate premiership contender.

Nick Haynes (NEW)

Despite another disappointing loss, Nick Haynes can hold his head high for the Blues, putting together a strong individual performance down back as the Lions repeatedly threatened to blow Carlton out of the water.

Haynes' four spoils and six marks were a team high, and he was one of just six Blues players to lay a tackle inside 50. With ball in hand, Haynes was classy as well, with 19 of his 23 disposals being effective, generating three rebounds 50s and two inside 50s.

With Melbourne up next, the Blues have a fantastic opportunity to snap this losing streak, and Haynes will undoubtedly play a vital role in the result.

Luke Parker (+1)

Luke Parker's fine form has continued for another week, carrying the Kangaroos out of the middle in their loss to the Demons.

Parker attended a season-high 88% of centre bounces on Sunday afternoon and won four clearances from there, with the remaining four of his total of eight coming from stoppages. He racked up another hefty disposal tally, winning 27 touches at 67% efficiency, meaning he's still recorded less than 20 possessions just twice this season.

Parker will return to his old home in Round 19 with North Melbourne travelling to the SCG to take on the Swans in what will likely be an emotional game for the former Sydney superstar.

Jack Macrae (-1)

While Macrae has dropped a rung in this week's power rankings, it's through no fault of his own; his efforts in the heat of the contest against Sydney were a factor in St Kilda leading for the majority of the match.

However, despite Macrae's excellent pressure against Sydney's star-studded midfield unit, which saw him lay 11 tackles, including three inside 50, and 21 pressure acts, he was unable to influence in other key areas. Macrae recorded two score involvements, an equal season-low, and had just 20 disposals, his third-lowest figure this season.

While these touches were very effective, gaining over 300 metres from them, Macrae was ultimately unable to influence the scoreboard like Saints fans expect. This could be due to him attending his fewest centre bounces this season, just 57%, but even at stoppages, he was unable to make a significant difference for St Kilda, both sides recording 22 stoppage clearances for the match.

With St Kilda's season all but over, Macrae will be hoping to gain a bit of redemption in Geelong next week, and if his contested pressure is anything to go by, there's a strong chance he is able to achieve that.

John Noble (+1)

John Noble holds the last laugh against his former club, at least for now. Noble was back to his damaging best off half-back for the Suns as they handed Collingwood their third loss of the season, holding them goalless for 77 minutes on Friday night.

Noble's 30 disposals were some of the most impactful on the field, gaining a game-high 662 metres and generating six rebound 50s from those possessions. Defensively, he was at his best, winning seven intercepts and eight marks, leading the Suns in both categories.

Particularly in the first half, Collingwood struggled to make any damage from their chains toward forward 50 and Noble's role in the defensive half was evidently a factor in that, hence his rise back into the top four of the power rankings.

Matthew Kennedy (-1)

Matthew Kennedy has lost his hold inside the top two after easily his most underwhelming performance of the season. Kennedy, who has been a prolific ball-winner and goal sneak this season, was nowhere to be found against the Crows as the Bulldogs fell short of the mark once again against a top-eight side.

Kennedy recorded just six disposals in 74% time on ground and 31 metres gained. He was a non-factor and could not help the Bulldogs turn things around in a pivotal third quarter, failing to win a clearance from the 12 centres bounces he attended.

This does not take away much from Kennedy's stellar season, of course, but with a titanic clash against Brisbane next week, and with a top-eight spot very much on the line, Kennedy will be hoping to return to his best to secure an upset win.

Shai Bolton (+1)

Bolton's two goals and 19 disposals highlighted his continued influence on Fremantle's charge toward September, the purple haze securing a statement win over Hawthorn on Saturday night.

Bolton was at his damaging best inside 50, his two first-half goals keeping the Dockers within touching distance before they surged to victory in the fourth quarter. However, he demonstrated his versatility that has made him so potent for the Dockers, going into 40% of centre bounces and winning four clearances.

Bolton and the Dockers will spy an upset win against Collingwood this weekend at the MCH, with momentum surely building after Saturday night's classic.

Bailey Smith (-)

Smith holds top spot, but the gap between him and the rest of the pack is waning as he failed to damage in his usual way against the Giants' elite midfield group.

Smith, despite picking up another hefty 26 disposals, only managed two clearances and four score involvements, the fewest and second-fewest respectively recorded by the superstar this season.

While a Brownlow Medal likely won't be on Smith's mind, with the greater goal of a premiership still in play, he may have fallen out of the prestigious race after missing last week to illness and having a below-average game in the Cats' Round 18 loss. However, if he can get back to his ball-winning dominance that saw him tear the competition apart in the first half of the season, anything is on the cards for the former Bulldog.