The top two recruits of the year thus far went head to head in Round 11, as two former Saints made names for themselves in blockbuster Saturday clashes.
A Crow continues to make his rise up the Power Rankings too after a weekend to remember, while a Docker forward drops slightly after a mediocre performance in the wet, relative to his standards.
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 11 giving us plenty to consider.
1. Bailey Smith (-)
Bailey Smith exacted revenge on his former club on Thursday with a dominant display of aggressive ball-winning and pinpoint kicking in key moments. Smith's 33 disposals, which are elite in their own right, still don't show the full picture, as he truly made his impact felt in all areas of GMHBA Stadium. Going forward he was unstoppable, contributing seven score involvements which included a 50+ metre dime to the goal square for a goal assist and a looping ball that was weighted perfectly to find Tyson Stengle.
Defensively, Smith laid seven tackles and led the match with 16 defensive half pressure acts. Once he won the football, he immediately got Geelong firing the other way, creating six rebound 50s despite attending 95% of centre bounces.
Bailey Smith talked the talk for months leading into this match. Now, he's walked the walk too.
