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.
Caleb Daniel makes a return to the power rankings after another top performance for the Kangaroos on Saturday afternoon. He continues to dominate possession for North Melbourne as they attempt to find some footing in what is meant to be a break-out campaign for the club.
While eventually outdone by a classy Suns outfit, Daniel's match-best 32 disposals at 88% efficiency must be recognised, his experience looking to be a big pay-off for the Roos.
He was perhaps best afield in the most heated areas of the ground, racking up a team-high ten contested possessions as well as a game-high six clearances from stoppages. On one of the smaller grounds seen at AFL level, his poise with ball in hand within congestion was exceptional.
North Melbourne has the tough task of Carlton next week, looking to avoid another disappointing loss, but with Caleb Daniel at his best, it'd be unfair not to give North Melbourne every chance of winning that game.
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.
Peatling continues to stand out as Adelaide's recruit of the off-season with another excellent performance against Geelong, despite the loss. While he'll wait nervously to see if he can avoid suspension for a dangerous tackle laid in the second half, everything else he produced was fantastic.
22 disposals and six clearances a demonstrate his efforts to lift the Crows in the midfield in arguably the game of the season so far. His scoreboard impact should not go underappreciated either, despite having zero shots at goal, ultimately involved in nine scores and having four direct goal assists.
The Crows fixture only gets tougher from here, with the Giants at home next week, but if this team can establish themselves as a serious finals threat with a win, Peatling will undoubtedly be at the helm of that effort.
After falling out of the power rankings due to the Hawks' early season bye, Tom Barrass has soared back onto the list with a crucial role in Hawthorn's second-half surge against Port Adelaide on Sunday night. Yes, the Hawks were utterly outclassed and outplayed for the majority of the match, a fired-up Power squad torching Hawthorn in an outstanding first half, but as the tables began to turn in the fourth quarter, Barrass was instrumental.
Hawthorn generated over 40% of its scores from the defensive half, Barrass only trailing teammate Karl Amon for rebound 50s with five. In marking contests, Barrass was as sound as it gets, winning all four contested defensive one-on-ones in addition to his three spoils. Only Amon could say he used the ball more effectively than Barrass last night, too, for a Hawk, Barrass finishing the game with ten effective kicks.
While the comeback was improbable, Hawthorn certainly gave the Power a bit of a scare and it was the clamps of Barrass in the backline that gave the Hawks the opportunity to do so. Considering Barrass' role in shutting down many other key forwards already this season, most notably his role on Charlie Curnow in Round 2, his return to the power rankings is justified.
The biggest ascender of Round 5 is Gold Coast's half-back phenom John Noble, whose impact was vital in delivering a crushing blow to the opposing Kangaroos, the Suns running rampant over North Melbourne in a sublime fourth quarter.
67 of Gold Coast's 141 points came from the defensive half, Noble leading the charge with a game-high 712 metres gained, five rebound 50s and three score launches. The magnitude of his 28-dispoal afternoon was compounded by his pressure, rewarded with a crafty final quarter goal that began with his own smother, exemplifying his efforts in the pink guernsey. Add into the mix six marks, two being intercepts, Noble was in with a shout for being best-on-ground at Barossa Valley.
Noble's impact at Gold Coast so far has been comparable to his 2023 season at Collingwood, a year in which he arguably should have been a premiership player. He's averaging 4.3 rebound 50s per game and 2.5 inside 50s from a career-high average of 24 disposals per game, proof that he's been excelling in Damien Hardwick's attacking system. Furthermore, he's posting career-best score involvements and score launches from his defensive position, highlighting Gold Coast's ability to maximise his influence.
Those are promising figures for the Suns, who now remain as just one of two teams yet to lose this season.
The Western Bulldogs' capitulation to the AFL's latest comeback kings, Brisbane, will sting for a while, blowing a third-quarter 39-point lead. It's hard to blame the midfield, however, as their efforts continue to impress even in the absence of Bontempelli.
Matthew Kennedy could argue his case for his best afield for the Bulldogs, his weekly growing impact ensuring his role at centre bounces going forward is almost a certainty. The former Blue racked up another 27 disposals on Saturday at Norwood Oval, and while he wasn't overly efficient amongst the congestion, his ability to win the football from centre clearances was crucial.
The Bulldogs generated eight scores from centre bounces against Brisbane, equal-most for any team this season. Kennedy's three centre clearances and six total for the game paid dividends in this metric, and with the Bont's return imminent, it's exciting for Dogs fans to wonder how good they can become at full strength.
Ultimately, the Dogs' 2-3 record probably doesn't reflect how good they've been while undermanned this season, but Matthew Kennedy's efforts are incredibly influential in keeping the Dogs competitive.
St Kilda were handed a slight reality check on Sunday afternoon as the Giants defeated them convincingly at Norwood Oval. Jack Macrae didn't have the 30-disposal, 10-clearance effort we've become accustomed to seeing from the superstar recruit this season, but his impact remains undeniable.
While GWS' midfield ultimately got the better of the Saints, slightly overrunning them in clearances (38-35) and contested possessions (125-112) for the match, Jack Macrae was best on in these areas. He played a vital role in keeping St Kilda in the contest, aside from that brutal third quarter, leading the Saints in contested possessions with 12, as well as centre clearances with five - a stat St Kilda ultimately won.
Another tough midfield clash looms with the Bulldogs up next on Easter Sunday, a Bontempelli return reportedly hopeful to occur. Macrae's importance to stealing a win there, and for the St Kilda's finals hopes overall, is rapidly mounting each week.
The Cats comeback victory over Adelaide was a masterclass delivered by their three big name recruits of the past decade. Patrick Dangerfield was a wrecking ball up forward, Jeremy Cameron returned to form and of course, Bailey Smith won the football better than anyone else on the field.
The numbers speak for themselves. 35 disposals, 17 contested, to go with six clearances and nine score involvements demonstrate Smith's elite ball-winning nature, as he willed Geelong back from the depths after falling 30 points behind a brilliant Crows attack.
Many wondered what kind of player Geelong would be getting after Smith missed close to two years from football, questioning whether an ACL injury would hinder his explosive, tenacious style. It simply hasn't.
The Cats have recruited someone better than imagined. A first All-Australian blazer is calling Smith's name.
