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.
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.
Collingwood will be happy with the play of former Giant Perryman in the early stages of this season. Despite the brutal loss to his former team in Opening Round, Perryman was one of the best afield for Collingwood, collecting 27 disposals and stepping up in the midfield while Nick Daicos struggled with cramps.
He was quieter in Round 1 but used the ball effectively, picking up three score involvements from just 13 touches in Collingwood's rampage over the Power.
Where Perryman has been most outstanding, however, is of course on the defensive side of the footy. His 22 pressure acts were amongst the game-leaders against Port Adelaide, and he's been intercepting the football at a solid rate.
His role at the Magpies has shifted from his days at the Giants, now attending significantly more centre bounces than ever at 46.4%, but the game against Port Adelaide demonstrated he still can uplift the defence from that area of the field.
The Pies are all in this season and Perryman's ability to adapt to his new role has been important to their bounce back win after a poor Opening Round.
Tim Membrey is the definition of a streaky goalkicker, kicking multiple goals in consecutive games just three times last season, but when he's on, he's almost impossible to slow down.
The Magpies saw the benefits of that as the decade-long Saint produced four of the best in their 91-point rout of the Power on Saturday night.
Whether it was off a step under pressure or a set shot from a tight angle, Membrey couldn't be denied, kicking Collingwood's first three goals of the contest, which opened the floodgates completely.
Collingwood were about average last season when it came to generating marks inside 50, but with the addition of Membrey and a hopefully healthy Dan McStay, the Pies now have serious threats up forward that can punish with dead-eye accuracy.
Despite the underwhelming team performance, St Kilda fans should be thankful for Jack Macrae's decision to join their club.
His effort on debut was the best for the Saints, possessing four hard-ball gets and winning a league-high 15 ground balls.
St Kilda took significant hits in the off-season, losing key players in free agency and to injury, so Macrae's addition to the midfield needed to work immediately. Luckily for them, it did, otherwise Sunday's outcome could have been far more severe.
The premiership Bulldog won 12 clearances for the game; seven more than the next Saint. His class is absolutely clear and has been needed badly in this Saints outfit.
Ultimately, Sunday's performance against the Crows was awful for St Kilda, dominated in most areas of the ground, but they were competitive in the midfield and that undoubtedly is thanks to the off-season pick-up of Macrae.
The Suns' new era is off to a captivating start, assured by the excellent play of their off-season recruits in defence.
Daniel Rioli in particular starred on debut in the red jumper with an electric 21 disposals and two goals off halfback as Gold Coast cruised to victory over a rebuilding Eagles outfit.
It's easy to overreact to one game against a poor side, but Rioli looks comfortable and aware of his role under Hardwick's tutelage again.
The Suns are noticeably replicating the playstyle of Hardwick's Richmond dynasty, which Rioli was a key figure in, so his confident debut sparks imagination about what Gold Coast could achieve in 2025.
A third Magpie enters this list, and it had to be done.
Dan Houston's impact on debut for Collingwood on Saturday night was unmissable as he exacted revenge against his former club.
The two-time All-Australian will be in play for three Brownlow votes as he dominated possession, delivering 27 disposals at an insane 89% efficiency. Combining that with five inside 50s and six score involvements, Collingwood's midfield looked levels above the Power and certainly played a far more dangerous game than what was seen against GWS in Opening Round.
Collingwood's off-season plan, as senior coach Craig McRae has told the media, was to move away from picks and developing players for established talent. That puts the Magpies in a premiership or bust window. Considering what they had to give up in the trade period for Houston too, there's a lot of pressure on him to succeed.
So far so good.
The recruitment of Tom Barrass already looks like a masterclass for the Hawks, as their stellar 2-0 start to 2025 has been anchored by the former Eagles' efforts in their defensive 50.
Barrass has been the perfect fullback to elevate Hawthorn's defence into elite territory, averaging six spoils per game over the first two weeks of the season.
Combining his stoic presence with an already dynamic backline featuring Jack Scrimshaw, James Sicily, Josh Weddle and other off-season recruit Josh Battle, the Hawks held the Bombers to just seven marks inside 50 from 58 entries. The week earlier, Barrass played a critical role in a similar outcome, with the Swans producing just five marks inside 50 from 40 entries.
The Hawks have the makings of a premiership-level defence with the additions of Barrass and Battle, particularly with Barrass' intercept ability, and it's why both feature on this list.
Bailey Smith might have the most pressure on him out of anyone on this list considering the highly publicised circumstances of his move from Footscray to the Cattery. Returning from an ACL injury that ruled him out of the 2024 season completely, there have been numerous question marks hanging over Smith.
Can he still play at an All-Australian calibre level? Can he prove the Bulldogs wrong and show he can produce in an elite midfield?
The early answers to these queries are a resounding yes.
Geelong's midfield looked unreal for the better part of three quarters during their Round 1 clash with Fremantle. Max Holmes and Smith's connection through the square was beautiful to watch and largely outclassed the Dockers midfield unit while in possession.
His energy was truly unmatched by anyone else on the field, hunting possession like a maniac and getting around his new teammates after small one-percenters. His dominance out of the middle allowed Patrick Dangerfield to spend more time in the forward line, an experiment that showed plenty of promise of creating a more dynamic forward third for the Cats.
Smith racked up a game-high 32 touches at 72% efficiency to go with a goal, which could have been more if Ollie Henry let the ball carry through untouched on a couple of occasions. His 12 score involvements also led the game.
To put it simply, the Cats midfield with Smith is must-watch footy and is breeding a new level of excitement down the highway, hence his early ranking as the number one off-season recruit.
