Gather Round provided footy fans with several classics, the impact of star off-season additions as apparent as ever.
A key Geelong midfielder has re-established himself as the top-ranked recruit, while the Gold Coast and Bulldogs see their star pickups continue to rise.
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 Gather Round giving us plenty to consider.
7. Shai Bolton (NEW)
While admittedly against a lowly Richmond, Shai Bolton finally showcased his well-known flair in the purple haze, too shifty for his former mob's inexperienced backline to deal with. Bolton was superb in Fremantle's convincing win at Barossa Park, the perfect target for the Dockers star midfield trio to hit up as they dominated from the centre square.
Two goals and three behinds from six marks was the scoreline Bolton produced on Sunday, and while his accuracy has room for improvement, there was enough from his efforts to excite Dockers fans immensely.
Shai's ten score involvements led the contest, his crumb work elite with seven ground ball gets, three of which coming inside forward 50. Bolton thrives next to strong key forwards, finding more space amongst their presence, so with Josh Treacy becoming one of the stars of the competition, it's no wonder the trade for Bolton seems to be paying off. He now averages a career-high 1.8 marks inside 50 through four games, taking three this past weekend.
With two bottom-seven defensive sides on the horizon in the next fortnight in Melbourne (15th) and Adelaide (12th), Fremantle will be licking their lips at the thought of what their forward line can produce with Bolton hitting his stride.
