Zero Hanger's top two recruits have solidified their positions at the top of our Recruit Rankings after a pair of monster performances during Round 14.
A new Hawk impressed mightily in the frigid Tasmanian conditions to return to the top eight, while a Saints midfielder's plunge continues after being thoroughly outclassed on Thursday night.
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 14 giving us plenty to consider.
1Bailey Smith (-)
In Geelong's seven game win-streak to start the 2024 season, not a single player registered 30 disposals or more.
In their current five-game win streak, Bailey Smith has recorded 30, 33, 38 and 41 disposals respectively. The one game he didn't play against Gold Coast in Round 13, Max Holmes recorded 40.
In 12 months, Geelong has suddenly turned from a balanced, deep midfield with the capability of outplaying other midfield groups in the AFL, to a balanced, deep midfield with the expectation to dominate the middle of the ground every week. Their ball-winning strength has come from the unfurling of two superstars; Holmes and, of course, Smith.
Smith and Holmes are Geelong's two best clearance-getters and runners, averaging 5.2 clearances per game each and a combined 1282.6 metres gained. That ranks them in the top two for both those metrics at Geelong.
To put into perspective how rare it is for a player to dominate both inside the contest and outside on the run, only Nick Daicos, Noah Anderson, Finn Callaghan and Chad Warner rank as a top two clearance-getter and for metres gained at their respective clubs. Geelong, therefore, has two of the six players in this elusive club.
Geelong's premiership hopes lie significantly with the play of Smith, but if the season so far is anything to go by, the Cats will be feeling grateful that he's the man to rely on.
