The seventh week of the AFL season saw a number of recruits live up to their pre-season hype as the power rankings begin to take shape.
A new leader has emerged out of the Bulldogs midfield, while three mainstay defenders solidify their positions in the top eight after big weekends.
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 Round 7 giving us plenty to consider.
3. Shai Bolton (-)
Fremantle heard the criticism during the week and bounced back in emphatic fashion over the Crows, Shai Bolton consistently finding himself at the end of a Dockers' midfield clearance. Similarly to his electric play against Melbourne last week, Bolton was elite at the drop of the ball, crumbing seven ground balls including three inside 50 which led to his six score involvements and a goal for reward.
Bolton also found himself in the contest regularly, attending almost 50% of centre bounces. It was a strategy that worked well in tandem with Fremantle's dominant inside mids, Bolton amassing 11 contested possessions from his season-high 22 disposals. He also generated five inside 50s, the fourth time he's done so already this season, which is exciting considering he did it just five times throughout all of 2024.
After games like that, it's hard to not reinvest into the Dockers hype and Bolton's influence remains a key part of that.
