The AFL's trade and free agency periods can be make or break windows for clubs as they look to bolster their playing lists for the next year.
In recent years, premierships have been won off the back of an off-season recruit, most notably Bobby Hill, who won the 2023 Norm Smith Medal for Collingwood in his first season at the club after requesting a move from GWS the prior year.
After Round 1, there are already multiple clubs reaping the rewards of their new signings, with several game-changing performances making headlines.
So, who's making the most impact in their new colours? We'll weekly rank the Recruit of the Year contenders for 2025, with Round 1 giving us plenty to consider.
Selection criteria: Only players who were on an AFL playing list at a different club in the prior season will be considered as recruits in these rankings.
8. Josh Battle
The Hawks strengthened their backline significantly in the off-season and it's been evident through their first two games of 2025.
Josh Battle, the former Saint of seven years, has played a vital role in the Hawks' stout defence and is often the man to begin an attack out of defence with his elite ball use, going at 80% kicking efficiency in 2025.
This impact off the back half was further highlighted in the Hawks' win over Essendon, where Battle's 10 rebound 50s led the match and was also a huge career-best.
Defensively, Battle has been a step down statistically compared to 2024, which was a career year for him in spoils (3.8 per game) and one-on-one defensive contest win percentage (81.2%), but this is likely due to him not being required to be the main figure in the Hawks' back six, headlined by Tom Barrass and captain James Sicily.
In saying that, his 2.5 spoils per game are still commendable and he's been incredibly versatile at half-back, often rotating between assignments on key forwards and small forwards. He's adding a level of dynamism to the Hawks' defence that they lacked last season and will undoubtedly play a significant role in their push for the premiership.
