Brutal reviews for teams that missed finals, trade targets, season report card, grades, premiership clock, analysis – MASHAHER

The 2024 AFL season is over for 10 clubs; some ending with a whimper, while others have created a solid foundation to build upon.

But no matter how this year went, it’s clear they all have work to do across the off-season to ensure they’re playing in September in 2025. And it starts now.

Here’s how they all got here, and what they need to do in the off-season to ensure there’s no sad repeat next year in Fox Footy’s Brutal Reviews!

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9. COLLINGWOOD (12-9-2, 102.5%)

Three word analysis

Premier curse continues

What went right

After a dire 0-3 start, the Pies not only recovered their season, but found a way to get themselves back in flag contention to sit third by their mid-season bye despite an array of injuries. That was largely due to how effective their front-half punish game was – ranked top four in the AFL in scores per inside 50, points from forward half and points from forward half intercepts. And wins over finalists Carlton – where the club saluted Scott Pendlebury’s 400th game in style – and Brisbane on the run home showed this group is still capable despite concerns of the end of an era at Collingwood. Ruckman Darcy Cameron enjoyed a career-best season, and if not for the team’s underwhelming campaign, he’d probably be in the conversation for the All-Australian squad. Nick Daicos continued to do Nick Daicos things in another Brownlow calibre year, with his brilliance at times masking over other issues for the reigning premiers. Dan McStay made a remarkable return in the back-end of the season from an ACL injury sustained in December, which was a particularly handy boost with Brody Mihocek sidelined.

What went wrong

A lot, clearly, with Collingwood becoming the third premier this decade to miss the eight. It felt like Pies fans endured three or four seasons in one, such was the up and down nature of the defending champs’ campaign. The first hump came last December when footy boss Graham Wright took a lengthy sabbatical to shake up the footy department – a sabbatical he never returned from as the club’s call to not part ways with Wright then and there has since been questioned. Injuries also severely depleted the Pies including Nathan Murphy’s medical retirement as well as the likes of Jordan De Goey, Jamie Elliott, Tom Mitchell, Brody Mihocek and Dan McStay all missing key chunks. And while Craig McRae’s side had plenty of new faces as a result, there weren’t many standouts including Fin Macrae and Reef McInness struggling to cement themselves despite big wraps on the young duo going into the year. The Pies’ usually rock solid defence was also uncharacteristically leaky – ranked bottom seven in the league in points against and and points against from turnover. It was partly due to their exciting ball movement dropping away – ranked 14th in the AFL in ball movement – with only Scott Pendlebury and Patrick Lipinski ranked in the top 50 rated kicks in the league. The slump that really cost Collingwood was four-straight losses coming off its bye – including back-to-back fails on the Friday night stage to Essendon and Geelong – that saw the club tumble from the top four all the way out of the eight. Otherwise, Lachie Schultz had some bright moments and provides plenty of team-first intangibles – including being ranked fourth in the AFL in tackles inside 50 – but didn’t live up to the the standards to cost the Pies a top 10 pick. Meanwhile Jack Ginnivan really flourished at Hawthorn to play a key role in Sam Mitchell’s side’s turnaround.

What they need

Craig McRae confirmed they’d love another key forward, but also pointed out how hard they are to find. And even if a highly rated one became available, the Pies don’t have their first-round pick this year. It largely handicaps Collingwood from doing anything of note this trade period as it’ll need to get creative if it does make moves. That includes it being nearly impossible for the club to land Christian Petracca should he want out of Melbourne, as much as the Pies would obviously want him. Collingwood could use another big-bodied midfielder to support Nick Daicos and take pressure off the likes of Scott Pendlebury, with Adelaide’s Sam Berry reportedly a target. Acquiring someone like Berry or Essendon’s Will Setterfield on the cheap would make sense. The Pies should also target another key or medium-sized defender following Murphy’s retirement and with Jeremy Howe in his twilight years. Of course, they tried and failed to land Tom Doedee last off-season, so this is clearly a priority. A homecoming for Crows defender Mark Keane looks possible to help shore up Collingwood’s back stocks.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(12am): With the oldest and most experienced list in the competition, the Pies remain in the sweet spot and would be looking to emulate what Geelong did this year in bouncing back from a failed flag defence to finish in the top four. They still have a big spread of elite talent on every line and a core very much in its prime. A longer off-season to freshen up and a better run with injuries and you’d expect the Pies to again challenge at the pointy end of the season.

Season grade

D+

— Ben Cotton

10. FREMANTLE (12-10-1, 113.7%)

Three word analysis

Faltered at finish

What went right

So much, which is what makes this September-less campaign so devastating for Fremantle fans. The win over Sydney at the SCG in Round 16 gave Dockers fans so much belief — and rightly so, for that was one of the victories of the season. Freo was brilliant defensively, finishing the home and away season as the league’s No. 4 ranked team for least points conceded. Their backline was superb, led by Alex Pearce and Luke Ryan in the key posts and Jordan Clark, Heath Chapman and James Aish as rebounders. The Dockers became one of the most lethal stoppage teams in the competition, ranking among the top two teams in first possessions, clearances and centre clearances. This was driven by Caleb Serong, who’ll be a sneaky Brownlow chance after another brilliant season, while Hayden Young’s permanent move into the middle was a masterstroke by coach Justin Longmuir. Josh Treacy emerged as the man to fill the long-standing key forward chasm to kick 45 goals, Nat Fyfe warmed into his more selfless role as the season progressed and Jeremy Sharp was one of the best bargain recruits of the season.

What went wrong

The final month. Oh that retched final month. After Round 20, the Dockers sat third on the ladder two points ahead of next best. Yet four consecutive losses to Essendon, Geelong, the Giants and Port Adelaide – after being in winning positions in all of them – followed to end the season, with the Bombers loss particularly costly. Ultimately, they went from third to 10th in four weeks. Brutal. Overall, Fremantle finished with a 3-8 record against the eight sides that will play finals. Longmuir said on Sunday night: “Against the best sides, we couldn’t execute well enough.” Fremantle’s tactics were, however, consistently questioned by Fox Footy pundits, especially in the early part of the year. They often played a laborious high uncontested mark game, which hindered their ability to play a counter-punch game — despite clearly being a skilful side with an ability to play at speed. There were an array of injuries too. Brennan Cox (8 games for the season), Sean Darcy (12) and Michael Walters (16) were limited throughout the season, while skipper Pearce clocked just one full game after Freo’s bye. And while the Dockers were good at the coalface, they struggled away from stoppages, ranking among 14th for contested possession and groundball gets, while they were 12th for pressure rating.

What they need

As disappointing as missing out on finals will be, the Dockers are one of the most well-positioned clubs heading into the silly season. As it stands, they hold three first-round picks and a second-rounder. It gives them flexibility to attack the trade period hard, or save their bullets for the talent-stacked national draft. All signs point to them being active in the trade period, with Tigers duo Liam Baker and Shai Bolton both being linked to the club. Baker could cost the Dockers nothing as a free agent, but any Bolton move would have to see Freo part with picks in a trade as he’s still contracted to Richmond. Bolton would be an excellent acquisition, considering the Dockers could do with more small forward help. The Dockers were ranked 15th for groundball gets inside 50 this season, while Michael Walters is clearly closer to the end than the start of his career.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(8pm): That’s two finals-less seasons for Fremantle after making a semi-final in 2022. The good news is the Dockers still have a relatively young list and have most areas on the ground covered, so there’s ample room for internal growth. With Treacy emerging, the midfield stacked and the defence so solid, the Dockers have a great platform to launch again in 2025. The issue is premierships have never been harder to win — and you wonder if 2024 was an opportunity gone begging.

Season grade

C+

— Ben Waterworth

11. ESSENDON (11-11-1, 93.5%)

Three word analysis

The streak lives

What went right

It felt like the most legit the club has been in a very long time in the opening months of the season as the Bombers appeared the real deal in year two under Brad Scott. Until they weren’t (but more on that later). It included Essendon dropping just two games up until Round 12, with an exciting, new era midfield featuring Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham emerging, while Zach Merrett led from the front as well as any player as a contender to be the captain of the All-Australian team. Nic Martin backed up a huge pre-season to take his game to another level and emerge as one of the elite halfbacks in the competition. The off-season recruits – Ben McKay, Xavier Duursma, Jade Gresham and Todd Goldstein – had varying degrees of success but overall had an impact and filled specific roles. Nate Caddy came onto the scene later in the season and had a real impact, booting nine goals from 10 games to announce himself as the club’s long-term key forward. In terms of what they got right mechanically, the Bombers were among the best territory teams in the league – ranked top seven in the competition in inside 50 differential, time in forward half differential and forward half intercepts.

What went wrong

Just where did it all go wrong? It’s the very thing the Bombers will be questioning over a long summer after spending a key chunk of the season in the top four – and only sliding out of the top eight late in the campaign. A period of six losses from eight games in the back-end of the season – when Essendon consistently struggled to step up in big moments – showed the team wasn’t yet ready to take the next step. And so it was deja vu to last year – promising patches and some big wins but a costly fade-out – and a feeling of the same olds as that dreaded 20-year drought without a finals win continues. Plus, the stats suggested even when Brad Scott’s side was winning matches, its overall game wasn’t necessarily in great shape. It included the defence remaining a weak point – despite the addition of McKay – in an area they’ll simply have to correct to rise further up the ladder – ranked bottom five in the competition in points against, score per inside 50 against percentage, points against from turnover and defensive 50 to inside 50 against percentage. They also rated 15th in goals conceded to key forwards and 16th in goals conceded to small forwards. Getting just nine games out of Jordan Ridley due to injury clearly didn’t help in this area, and though not a defender, Darcy Parish was limited to 12 appearances. The club’s trio of 2020 top 10 picks – Archie Perkins, Zach Reid and Nik Cox – again struggled to develop their games in a meaningful way nor become consistent contributors as the club would hope. And after being one of the boom AFL recruits when he first joined Essendon, Peter Wright’s regression continued with just 19 goals from 14 games, even spending parts of the season in the VFL.

What they need

The Bombers made plays for both Tyson Stengle and Ben Ainsworth, signalling they’re in the hunt for a gun small forward. Carlton’s Matt Owies is probably the best one still on the board, so could the Dons try and lure him from their old rival? The ongoing defensive problems clearly show Essendon could use upgrades in that department, but getting a full season from Ridley and Reid would certainly help, while it’s also got to do with how the whole team defended the ground. You suspect the Bombers, after topping up hard in last year’s trade and free agency period, will prioritise the draft. That includes the looming addition of NGA prospect and Victoria Metro forward Isaac Kako, who’s considered a top 20 talent. The Bombers still have several senior players out of contract too including Jake Stringer, Harrison Jones, Matt Guelfi and Jake Kelly as well as 2023 recruits Will Setterfield and Sam Weideman, so there’s some big calls to be made by new list boss Matt Rosa. Meanwhile Ben Hobbs is expected to explore opportunities elsewhere given the depth of the Bombers midfield.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(6pm): The Bombers aren’t a young team anymore and would want to see more tangible improvement in year three under Scott in 2025. For this year was effectively a repeat of last even if it felt like the club took steps forward. Coming off a busy trade period to show they’re in win-now mode, the Bombers had the sixth-most experienced list in the competition in 2024 and have had just four AFL debutants since Scott took over. The Essendon coach has consistently preached the long-term game and he deserves ample time to stamp his influence. But at some point the wheel has to start properly turning, with the 2021 season under Ben Rutten their last finals appearance. And so with the majority of the list either in or entering its prime years, it’s time for this footy club to get serious or risk staying in AFL purgatory for a long time.

Season grade

C-

— Ben Cotton

12. ST KILDA (11-12, 99.4%)

Three word analysis

Not there yet

What went right

St Kilda’s second half of the season would have pleased its supporters, given the uninspiring start — it finished 8-4 after starting 3-8 — and while it disappointingly couldn’t contend for a September berth, there are positives to take away, including ball movement. A common misconception this season was that the Saints were a boring watch. It simply isn’t true. If you caught any of their arc-to-arc transitions this season, it was objectively pleasing viewing. Their rate of moving the ball from defensive-50 to forward-50 ranked sixth in the competition this season. They have also ranked first in the AFL in points from their defensive half, second for uncontested marks, and third for mark-play-on percentage. They are one of the league’s most proactive sides with the Sherrin in hand, and it is one of the positive foundations upon which Lyon and his staff can build. No. 18 draft choice Darcy Wilson has been a pleasing addition to Ross Lyon’s side, playing in all 23 games in his rookie season — averaging 15.3 disposals, 4.3 marks and 2.4 inside-50s per game, with the burgeoning midfielder’s best effort coming in Round 23 against Geelong when he notched a career-best 25 touches and two goals. Fellow rookie Hugo Garcia has also impressed in his nine games, while off-season trade addition Liam Henry has proved a livewire when he wasn’t sidelined with injury — managing 13.8 disposals and a career-high 3.6 inside-50s per game playing a high-volume wing role.

What went wrong

The Saints were too inconsistent in showcasing their best football. And, while they were a side that ignited plenty of successful defence-to-offence chains, they couldn’t finish their work often enough inside forward-50 — St Kilda’s chain-to-score percentage ranked 15th, while their scores per inside-50 clip sits 14th in the competition. One of the other issues for Ross Lyon’s side was its inability to punish with its forward-half intercepts. The importance of forward-half territory in today’s game is paramount, and the Saints ranked dead-last in scoring from the front-half turnovers they forced. Further, St Kilda has struggled at stoppages this season — this year, they ranked 17th for points from clearance and were 11th for clearance differential. The club’s engine room doesn’t have enough stars, nor quality depth after skipper Jack Steele. Hunter Clark and Paddy Dow have shown flashes, but it isn’t an elite mix — and the likes of Seb Ross and Brad Crouch simply aren’t cutting it at this point in their careers, while question marks linger over the likes of Marcus Windhager and Ryan Byrnes. Elsewhere, the consensus expectation is that Josh Battle will depart St Kilda for Hawthorn this off-season as a free agent, and, forgetting for a moment the draft compensation it would yield, the loss — purely from a key-defending and intercepting standpoint — is going to leave a significant void. A second top-10 draft selection would be crucial for these Saints, but they would be losing a critical building block.

What they need

Simply, St Kilda needs another damaging presence — a true game-changer — between the arcs. It has its fair share of outside runners who can damage after first possession is won — including the likes of the aforementioned Wilson and Henry, Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Brad Hill, Mason Wood, etc. — but it needs a star-factor player or two who can do that extracting work and explode from congestion. It’s why the club pursued a peaking Jordan De Goey. But Stephen Silvagni and his list management brains trust know this, having registered interest in the likes of dynamic Lion Hugh McCluggage, North Melbourne clearance beast Luke Davies-Uniacke, and reborn Bomber Dylan Shiel this year. While the club has identified the weakness, it is now a matter of cementing a move in October. The Saints also have 21 players currently without a contract for next season — no other AFL side has more unsigned players — and eight of those are eligible for unrestricted free agency. Those free agents are Josh Battle, Tim Membrey, Mason Wood, Liam Stocker, Jimmy Webster, Riley Bonner, Seb Ross and Tom Campbell. In short, further change is coming, at a minimum via the drafts.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(4pm): Missing out on September comfortably after a finals berth in 2022 certainly stings for the supporter base, but it is easier to look at the Saints with a positive lens considering their strong end to the year. After starting the season poorly, they finished well enough to give their supporter base hope going into 2025 — which, as we know, is a dangerous elixir for these starved Saints!

Season grade

C-

— Jack Jovanovski

13. GOLD COAST SUNS (11-12, 99.1%)

Three word analysis

Home sweet home

What went right

They won a lot of games at home venues! Of their 11 games at either People First Stadium or TIO Stadium, the Suns won 10 of them as they began to make their Carrara venue a fortress. The record-breaking win over Geelong in Darwin was breathtaking, while the victory over Collingwood in late June was inspirational. The Damien Hardwick forward-half DNA was also apparent from early on. They ranked second in the competition for forward-half intercepts, while they were also top seven for inside 50 differential, time in forward half differential and points from forward-half intercepts. Ben King had another solid year in front of goal finishing with 55.26, while Sam Flanders thrived as a full-time midfielder. Sam Collins will be in the All-Australian mix, while Mac Andrew and Bodhi Uwland also starred in defence. Plus the acquisitions of Ben Long via trade and Sam Clohesy via the rookie draft also paid dividends.

What went wrong

They lost a lot of games at away venues! In fact it took until Round 22 against Essendon for the Suns to finally register a win away from Gold Coast and Darwin this year. Significant losses to the Swans (-53 point), Bulldogs (-48) and Giants (-39) were particularly perplexing, considering the momentum Hardwick’s troops had generated in the lead up to all of those matches. A constant frustration for Suns fans and footy pundits this year was Gold Coast’s inefficiency forward of centre. They ranked last in the competition for kick inside 50 retention percentage, while they were also bottom three for scores per inside 50 percentage and forward 50 groundball differential. Jack Lukosius had a frustrating season and, despite being contracted, could be on his way out in the coming weeks. Bailey Humphrey probably hasn’t kicked on as quickly as what pundits thought, although he’s still only two years into his AFL journey.

What they need

Some class with ball in-hand. The Suns didn’t have one player inside the top 40 rated kicks (based on kick rating) across the competition. The answer could be in the 2025 draft as their top academy prospect Zeke Uwland — the brother of Bodhi Uwland — might be the best player in the class. But that doesn’t help the Suns in the short-term. Could the answer be Daniel Rioli? The triple premiership Tiger, who had an excellent 2024 season amid Richmond’s horror win-loss record, has been heavily linked to the Suns, despite being contracted to Richmond until the end of 2027. Rioli’s ball use further up the ground could help the Suns immensely.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(5pm): Considering this season their list was ranked eighth for both average age and games played, you would’ve hoped by now the Suns’ time would’ve ticked to at least 6pm or even 7pm. But this team and playing list can’t be trusted yet. Hardwick famously said at his first press conference as Gold Coast coach that 80 per cent of his premiership list was sitting in the same room. That should still be the case. But 2025 is truly go-time for the Suns — and Hardwick’s grace period will be over. No more excuses, they must make finals … at least.

Season grade

D

— Ben Waterworth

14. MELBOURNE (11-12, 98.5%)

Three word analysis

Demise from hell

What went right

Melbourne’s defence is still incredibly tough to pierce. Led extremely well by Steven May and Jake Lever, the Dees were one of the toughest teams to score against this year. Simon Goodwin’s side ranked first in the competition for scores per inside 50 against percentage and sixth for chain to score against percentage. While there was plenty of adversity in 2024 for the Dees, there were a number of shining lights. The Demons unearthed Trent Rivers as a midfield piece for the future, while defender Judd McVee managed to shut down some of the games most dangerous opposition small forwards. Eastern Ranges product Caleb Windsor had an exciting debut campaign on the wing and Kysaiah Pickett continues to flourish, as does key forward Jacob Van Rooyen. Other youngsters such as Koltyn Tholstrup, Kynan Brown, Andy Moniz-Wakefield and Blake Howes also got some exposure at the top level to give fans a glimpse into what the future might hold.

What went wrong

Melbourne was always going to face a challenging 2024 campaign after a pre-season from hell. Midfielder Angus Brayshaw had his career cut short due to concussion and the Dees were forced into trying to replace him on the fly. Key position player Joel Smith was accused of drug trafficking while star midfielder Clayton Oliver dominated the headlines for all the wrong reasons. Oliver’s form dip in 2024 has been alarming, having gone from one of the competition’s best players to one of the most heavily criticised. He’s getting less of the ball (he averaged 30 disposals last year compared to 23 this year) and his clearance numbers have almost halved. Experts industry-wide have questioned whether he’s been fit enough to be an AFL footballer this season. Then there’s Christian Petracca. The Demons’ best player had his season cut short when he suffered a raft of nasty internal injuries in the King’s Birthday clash against Collingwood in June. Questions around Petracca’s future have emerged in recent weeks after reports suggested he was angry and disgruntled with the way the club handled his injuries and its poor performances on-field and lack of future direction. Petracca opened up to his teammates last week with Lever sharing it was an “eye-opener” for the playing group. Demons’ powerbrokers have had to repeatedly deny cultural issues and fractures within the playing group throughout the entire season. Those only increased as rumours circulated of senior players, including Petracca, wanting out. Jack Viney was linked to a family reunion with father Todd at North Melbourne but ultimately signed on until 2028 at the Dees, while Oliver and Petracca are others to be linked to other clubs, although it appears both will stay in red and blue. Unheralded star Alex Neal-Bullen has also requested a trade back home to South Australia for family reasons. On the field,

What they need

It still looks as though the Dees are still thin in their front half. While Jacob Van Rooyen will become a star, he needs a second in command to help lead this attack. Bayley Fritsch has been successful in the past, but he’s more of a third tall, while Harrison Petty, Daniel Turner and Tom McDonald were all trialled in that role to varying success. Can youngster Matthew Jefferson make his mark next year perhaps? Melbourne didn’t have one player in the top 25 for marks inside 50 and they ranked 16th in the competition for score per inside 50 percentage and 14th for points for. They need to find a spark forward and fast. Given their ageing list, the Dees should look to target the draft this season as well to ensure their next wave of superstars can start getting some experience alongside their established leaders.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(8pm): The Dees looked like they were well and truly in the premiership window this time last year, but you can’t help but think that time is starting to tick with this current group of players. Captain Max Gawn and star defender Steven May will be 33 when next season rolls around, while Jack Viney (31 next year), Christian Salem (30), Christian Petracca, Jake Lever and Ed Langdon (29) aren’t getting any younger. Can we count this year as a mulligan or was this just the start of the Demons’ demise? We’ll know a lot more a month into the 2025 season.

Season grade

F

— Dylan Bolch

15. ADELAIDE CROWS (8-14-1, 99.1%)

Three word analysis

Big step backwards

What went right

In a year tainted mostly with disappointment, the Crows have managed to unearth and expose some key players for the future. With the aging Taylor Walker not as dangerous up forward as he was last year (albeit with a decrease in the standard of forward 50 delivery), it has become clear that Matthew Nicks needs to find his long-term replacement to aid Darcy Fogarty. Enter Riley Thilthorpe. The second pick of the 2020 AFL Draft finally overcame a long-term meniscus injury from this year’s pre-season to stamp his authority in the attacking half upon his return. Thilthorpe ended with 15 goals from seven games – the first of which he was a substitute for. Beyond the 201cm tall, Jake Soligo’s injection into the midfield was a breath of fresh air for Adelaide – taking like a duck to water in the contest and pressure side of the midfield. And joining him – surprisingly to some – was 2017 All-Australian Matt Crouch, who was one of, if not the most consistent player for Adelaide when he took to the field either side of his shoulder injury. From a statistical point of view, the Crows ranked 3rd in 2024 for defensive 50 to inside 50 against; in other words, preventing opposition teams from transitioning from their defensive arc to attacking 50. They also ranked eighth in the competition for points against from turnover – showing a middle-of-the-range ability to clean up after themselves on the back of turnovers. Ben Keays was excellent particularly in the second half of the season alongside Izak Rankine (when playing) – while Max Michalanney continues to show promise.

What went wrong

Adelaide managed to lose (and draw) so many winnable games throughout the season, but in reality, they were far from a finals product. Their 0-4 start to the year put their September hopes on life support from the get-go, and from there losses to Essendon (three points), Collingwood away (four points) and Richmond (eight points) confirmed what everyone suspected. Statistically, the Crows ranked poorly around clearance and stoppages – ranked 13th in the competition for both points from clearance and points against from clearance. And even more alarmingly, they ranked 15th for clearance differential. Their problems evidently stem around a midfield unproductive around the contest, with only one of their five full-time midfielders ranking above average or better for AFL player ratings points. Crouch is the only full-time midfielder at the club to be ranked elite for clearances (5.9 per game); although as good as he’s been in 2024, won’t burn oppositions in the same manner at the stoppage without solid support. Without Walker and skipper Jordan Dawson having the astronomical years they had in 2023, more cracks certainly emerged at West Lakes than we first thought were there. Not to mention the end of season handling of Josh Rachele, with teammates, coaches and Rachele himself all leaving more questions of the club than answers.

What they need

The Crows took a massive step back this season after all their progress in 2023 – but importantly, it can be reversed. With the likes of Thilthorpe, Soligo, Michalanney – and even Fogarty – getting another season under their belt, there is plenty of promise. And with increasing speculation that both Alex Neal-Bullen and Jack Lukosius could join the club in the off-season, their depth looks set to crucially improve. Isaac Cumming and Riley Garcia are two players yet to sign on at their respective clubs beyond this season, and would each fit well into the Crows’ side as a defender and midfielder respectively. And if Adam Tomlinson was open to moving out of Melbourne, would he be someone Adelaide’s list management would be open to recruiting? While their defence is filled with youth, there’s no doubt it needs some experienced heads to cope with fast entries. As is well documented also, their midfield needs a dynamic shake-up that provides pace and spark. While Izak Rankine’s addition to the engine room has been a massive success, the opportunity initially came as a result of their midfield being so one-dimensional. A move back to half-back for Rory Laird could provide much needed dash from the defensive half, and also provide opportunity for the likes of Sam Berry (if he signs on) or even Michalanney to spend more time in the nucleus. Reilly O’Brien has come under the most heat of his career this season, with the Crows potentially on the hunt for a young ruck to invest in long-term if they continue to be unsure of his output. Their forward line looks strong long-term, and will have added depth if Taylor Walker signs on and potential father-son nomination Tyler Welsh joins the club.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(3pm): The same conversations on how the club’s talent will evolve have been had for several years, and not to much avail. Take out Walker, Rankine and Dawson from the picture, and there aren’t many other players on their list that have consistently proven themselves at the top level in recent years – perhaps with the exception of Crouch and Laird. As a result, it’s now hard to see the Crows pushing much further than the middle of the table in 2025, as pressure on Matthew Nicks continues to rise heading into his sixth year at the helm – who unfortunately, probably can’t afford another year without making finals.

Season grade

F

— Will Faulkner

16. WEST COAST EAGLES (5-18, 68.1%)

Three word analysis

Get ruthless — fast!

What went right

Prized No. 1 draft pick Harley Reid provided the struggling Eagles with a spark so bright it set their home crowd alight each and every week. Reid’s fends and bursts of speed out of the middle gave West Coast hope – despite the dire state of their list. Jake Waterman had his best season and gave the Coleman Medal a shake early, despite being one of the last re-signed at the club. Elliot Yeo also returned to his best form after a lean run with injury in recent years. He claimed the Glendinning-Allan Medal for best afield in the first Western Derby of the season in West Coast’s shock win over their cross-town rivals Fremantle. Brady Hough continued to build as a young defender, Jack Williams showed flashes as a key forward and twice the club managed back-to-back wins – a feat they hadn’t achieved in three years. The upset 35-point win over Melbourne in Round 10 was a massive highlight for the struggling club – and their only win in the space of 13 games. Jarrad Schofield managed to get some fight out of the playing group when he took over as interim coach, with the club ranking fifth in the AFL for score per inside 50 percentage and 10th for points scored in that timeframe.

What went wrong

Coach Adam Simpson lost his job midway through the year despite the club repeatedly backing him as the man to lead the rebuild. Past players like Dean Cox then quickly ruled themselves out of the running to replace Simpson in further blows to the big club. New recruit Tyler Brockman found himself in trouble with the law and needed time away from the club. And then on the field, it was the West Coast of old as 10 of its losses in 2024 were by 50 points or more. This was despite having a favourable draw where they played only one of the 2023 top four twice, and only one other finalist (St Kilda) twice this year. Disastrous results aside, star defender Tom Barrass has all but played his last game for the club. Statistics show the Eagles had issues at both ends of the ground. They finished 18th for points scored off turnovers, conceded the most number of points from clearance and had the second-worst ranking for scores conceded per inside 50 percentage. The competitiveness of the list remains a massive question mark, with Jarrad Schofield conceding there were players playing for the futures in the final rounds.

What they need

The best deal possible for Tom Barrass. As it stands, the Eagles have Pick 3 – and then nothing until 23 and 59. For a club desperate to get young talent in the door and rebuild, that’s not a great hand heading into the draft. The Eagles also need a forward to stand tall. Jake Waterman (53 goals in 20 games) had a career-best year, but there was no support for him outside of that. Jack Darling’s form woes rolled on in 2024 as he averaged just one goal a game. Co-captain Oscar Allen struggled on return from injury with only 20 goals for the year, while Liam Ryan managed to hit the scoreboard just 13 times in his 16 games. Statistics show the Eagles had the second-worst attack in the AFL this season, as they finished 17th for points scored. Again a glaring issue for West Coast is the ruck. Bailey Williams was beaten repeatedly while Matt Flynn played three promising games for the club before injury ended his season early. The club has remained adamant Williams is the heir apparent to the now retired Nic Naitanui, but the ruck has long been an area of concern and shows no sign of improvement. The Eagles need an A-grade winger and another midfield bull to help out the likes of young Harley Reid and the ageing Elliot Yeo. An immediate replacement for Barrass would be on the wishlist, but in all likelihood that task will fall to young Harry Edwards who re-signed with the club earlier this month.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(1pm): Forget the clock, West Coast are nowhere close to finals, let alone a flag. Ex-Eagles coach Adam Simpson did warn it was going to get worse before it gets better – and that was before he was shown the door. Back-to-back blowout losses under interim coach Jarrod Schofield to end the season certainly made Simpson’s statement ring true. As it stands heading into 2025, the struggling club has no coach, only one draft pick inside the top 20 and big calls to make on a number of players who haven’t looked up to the task. Sure the club won as many games in 2024 as they did in the two years prior combined, but they didn’t have the injury carnage either.

Season grade

D+

— Catherine Healey

17. NORTH MELBOURNE (3-20, 63.5%)

Three word analysis

Rebuild taking ages

What went right

Despite rumours of a mass exodus out of Arden Street, the Roos have been on a signing spree this season. First cab off the rank was young star Harry Sheezel, who signed on until the end of 2030. Sheezel is already a bonafide star of the competition and they’ve started to put some superstar youth around him now too. Perhaps the most telling signature was that of forward Cam Zurhaar, who could have chased more money and longer tenures elsewhere but pledged his allegiance to the Shinboners much to his teammates’ delight. Successful teams often talk about sticking together through tough times and that’s exactly what the Roos are doing. Father-son defender Jackson Archer (2026), swingman Charlie Comben (2027), livewire small forward Paul Curtis (2028), the ever-consistent Bailey Scott (2026) and ruck Tristan Xerri (2029) are others to extend their stays at Arden Street this season. Xerri has had a breakout campaign and is in line to receive All-Australian honours for the first time in his career. North Melbourne’s young brigade have shown plenty of promise this season as well to give fans something to look forward to. George Wardlaw is an inside bull, Colby McKercher has thrived off half-back but will eventually move inside and while we’ve only seen glimpses, Zane Duursma will be an exciting player for the future. Midfielder Luke Davies-Uniacke continues to knock on the door of the game’s elite (and has reaffirmed his commitment to the club), Comben has been a revelation down back and forward Nick Larkey has had another strong season in front of goals. The Roos also improved drastically around the coalface after Round 10. They went from 18th to second in the competition for contested possessions, 18th to eighth for ground ball gets and 13th to seventh for clearances. The players were happy to get down and get their hands dirty. With master coach Alastair Clarkson at the helm assembling a star-studded band of young guns, it looks as though the Roos could finally be on the up.

What went wrong

Plenty went wrong in season 2024, clearly. The Roos suffered 10 defeats by 45 points or more which highlights they’re still a long way off the pace. They ranked last in the competition for points against, scores per inside 50 against percentage and defensive 50 to inside 50 against percentage. While the Roos were able to score a little bit more freely this season, their defence is still a major concern. The Roos leaked an average of 110.9 points per game to opposition sides, which Clarkson will no doubt look to rectify over the off-season. No other team in the competition were that inept from a defensive point of view. They’ll need to bolster that defence over the off-season if they want to surge up the AFL ladder. But the Roos have been far more competitive since the mid-season bye. They defeated fellow battlers West Coast in Round 13 and probably should’ve beaten Collingwood and Melbourne over the next fortnight. They were competitive against the Dogs and then edged the Suns the week after that. Two wins from five games and three narrow losses is a positive return for a side who’s been in the doldrums in recent times. The Roos lost young duo Josh Goater and Callum Coleman-Jones to Achilles injuries early in the season, while the untried Brayden George suffered another heartbreaking ACL injury just as he was pushing to break into the AFL side.

What they need

The Roos desperately need to bolster their key defensive stocks over the off-season and could do with some more leadership around Arden Street as well. Alastair Clarkson has already flagged that the Roos are going to chase some established talent to accelerate their rebuild. In recent weeks, the Kangas have been linked to Power star Ollie Wines, Swans duo Dane Rampe and Luke Parker and Giants veteran Callan Ward. “We’re just hoping we can extract one or two of those,” Clarkson said on SEN last week. North Melbourne have identified that the mature-age section of their list is “particularly skinny” so Clarkson and co will be doing everything they can to secure the signature of a veteran. While Comben has been outstanding down back, they have looked vulnerable down there this campaign. Could Giants veteran Nick Haynes be a win-win on both fronts?

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(1pm): The Roos are still a mile off a premiership having languished at the bottom for a number of seasons now. However, they are finally starting to acquire the pieces that will see them rise up the ladder and eventually compete in the finals once more. There’s still plenty of work to be done but stick fat, Roos fans.

Season grade

D

— Dylan Bolch

18. RICHMOND (2-21, 63.7%)

Three word analysis

Bad… 2025 worse?

What went right

If there was any underpinning positive attached to Richmond’s slew of injuries across the campaign, it was the opportunity to expose a host of talent to senior action. The Tigers trotted out a league-high 42 players across the course of their season, with no other side cracking 40. Mykelti Lefau appears the best of Richmond’s off-season additions, despite arriving as a pre-season supplemental selection. With regards to first-year senior coach Adem Yze’s game-style implementation, after evident struggles for the majority of the campaign, his side made strides between Rounds 18-23 in points from turnover (48.8 per game), forward-half intercepts (23.2) and points from forward-half intercepts (28.7). There is seemingly a foundation from which to build. Further, if there is a positive to finishing last, it is the chance to pick first overall at November’s national draft — and the Tigers will have an array of tantalising ball-winning talent to choose from to bolster their decimated list. Also, if the trades that are widely expected to happen do in fact eventuate in October, Richmond could take a bounty of first-rounders into the draft — and this is the year to do it, with system chances forthcoming, as well as concessions for the Tasmania Devils a few years down the track.

What went wrong

Expectations were already tempered ahead of Adem Yze’s maiden season in charge, but they were lowered further after the Tigers were quickly decimated by injury. Incredulously, five players — Josh Gibcus, Tylar Young, Judson Clarke, Mykelti Lefau and Sam Naismith — suffered season-ending ACL injuries. Tom Lynch had another incredibly lean year due to injury, while persistent back issues kept Dylan Grimes sidelined in what was his final season. Regarding gameplay, generating scores from clearance will be a key review point this off-season. Richmond ranked last in the AFL for centre clearance differential, 17th for clearance differential, and 17th for points from clearances. Injuries to key contributors clearly impacted defensive and offensive structures, but with a host of retirees this year including Dustin Martin, Grimes and Marlion Pickett — as well as the likely departures of Liam Baker and Shai Bolton — and possibly Daniel Rioli and Jack Graham, too, the Tigers have no choice but to plot a major assault at the draft. There is a wealth of experienced talent that needs to be replaced if Richmond is to be competitive most weeks next season.

What they need

Richmond needs to compensate for a talent shortage, especially with further impending departures. In particular, key-position bookends should be what Blair Hartley, Chris Toce and company are looking for this off-season. A truly healthy Lynch hasn’t been sighted in a while, and his wearing-down body means he doesn’t have a heap of football left in him. One of the club’s priorities needs to be acquiring a project or established key forward, because Samson Ryan hasn’t inspired hope and developmental draftee Liam Fawcett has been injury-plagued in the beginning of his AFL career. Provided the aforementioned Gibcus can string together an uninterrupted pre-season and get some consistent senior footy into him, adding another key defender alongside him would be wise, particularly considering Grimes’ retirement, Young’s continued rehabilitation, and Ben Miller’s glaring struggles in the second half of the season. Nick Vlastuin and Nathan Broad won’t be around forever, but Richmond quietly has a Vlastuin clone in Tom Brown. And speaking of the Tigers’ crop of 2021 draftees, we need to see more from Tyler Sonsie, Sam Banks and Judson Clarke (when his ACL is rehabilitated). In an even draft overflowing with promising on-ballers, a midfielder or two (or three) should be pounced on, as well as perhaps a project ruckman to learn behind veteran skipper Toby Nankervis, because he also doesn’t have a heap of time left. There are 13 Richmond players currently without a contract for next season, with discussions forthcoming regarding the futures of heralded premiership champions Dion Prestia and Kamdyn McIntosh, as well as fringe Tigers such as Thomson Dow, Noah Cumberland and Matt Coulthard, among others. An argument can also be made that the club needs to inject more experienced assistants around Yze, and with David Teague’s exit confirmed, Blake Caracella looks set to rejoin the fray — that would be a good start.

What time is it on the premiership clock?

(12.30pm): Richmond is evidently the furthest side from premiership contention. The journey under the guidance of Yze has only just begun, and most of the Tigers’ faithful are accepting of that reality. It is difficult to imagine a big leap in 2025, but with a plethora of talented youngsters soon to arrive at Punt Road, the trajectory looks OK.

Season grade

F

— Jack Jovanovski