From Brisbane's stunning three-peat to Fremantle's Grand Final capitulation, high-profile free agent signings to ongoing legal battles, so much has happened in the AFL world over the past month. So, who would you want to be (and not want to be) this off-season.
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Those I WOULD NOT want to be this AFL offseason
Ross Lyon
No coach will enter season 2027 under more scrutiny and pressure than Ross Lyon. St Kilda was widely tipped to rise up the ladder this season just gone after being the most active club during the previous trade and free agency period. Instead, the Saints severely underwhelmed, winning just 10 games and finishing a disappointing 11th on the ladder, 10 premiership points outside of the wildcard finals. The club is desperate to retain the services of superstar midfielder Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, who is out of contract at season's end and could easily be tempted with a blockbuster move back to South Australia. As a result, St Kilda's powerbrokers likely won't tolerate another sluggish start, which means Lyon has absolutely zero margin for error in 2027.
Fremantle fans
Alright, alright, I'm sorry to bring it up again. And please feel free to skip ahead if you don't want to re-live it once more. But the reality is every single Dockers fan will be replaying those harrowing final four-and-a-bit minutes of the Grand Final in their mind all offseason, wondering how on earth their team coughed up what appeared to be an insurmountable late lead. The heartbreaking loss to Brisbane is as devastating as it gets for a footy club and you could almost understand if any Fremantle fan never wanted to watch the sport again. Seriously, I'm not sure how you ever get over that loss. It all just means the next five months are going to feel like an eternity.
Andrew McGrath
It was an incredibly disappointing season from new Essendon skipper Andrew McGrath, who averaged a career-low in disposals, kicked just two goals, and failed to poll a single Brownlow Medal vote. To be a captain of a club that won just two games for the entire year and still be unable to crack the top 10 of the best and fairest count is pretty embarrassing, really. With former skipper Zach Merrett now no longer at the club, McGrath, who has now been in the league for a decade and tallied 200 games, is Essendon's main man. It's time he starts to play like it or else he risks further damage to his reputation.
Chris Fagan's replacement
Whoever is entrusted with the task of succeeding Chris Fagan at the Lions will be feeling the pressure and the eyes of the footy world on them from day one. It's a bit like following Jerry Seinfeld on stage. How can you possibly back up that act!? Fagan completely revitalised Brisbane, leading the club out of the doldrums and to its second three-peat this century. And while Fagan's tenure is up and dual Brownlow medallist Lachie Neale has departed for Collingwood, nobody feels as if the Lions are over the hump. In fact, quite the contrary. The age profile of this list should have them contending for years to come. That can be both a blessing or a curse for any new coach.
The Pullman Five
Okay, this one might be a tad on the nose, but who would want to be one of Isaac Heeney, Chad Warner, Nick Blakey, Riley Bice, or James Jordan this offseason? The incident at the Pullman Hotel in Melbourne on the eve of finals remains a legal matter, meaning there are still so many unknowns when it comes to the footballing careers of these five. Can Heeney and Warner ever ingratiate themselves to the Swans' faithful once more? Will Bice and Jordan be shuffled out of the best team? And then there's Blakey. North Melbourne gave up the farm for his signature and much will be expected of him at his new club. I'm just not sure he's the difference maker they think he is.
An (existing and competing) expansion club
At what point do we stop referring to Gold Coast and GWS as expansion clubs? Probably now. But I'm lumping them together in here for different reasons. The Suns were a total shambles this year, falling from flag favourite after three rounds to finishing in the bottom six and winning just two games after the mid-season byes. Spearhead Ben King has now departed the club and rumour has it Matt Rowell wants to follow suit. Damien Hardwick is under the pump and must show something in year four at the helm. Meanwhile, the Giants just held a fire sale, clearing out Toby Greene, Jesse Hogan, Lachie Whitfield, and Kieren Briggs. It's a bold move, and while it could pay dividends down the track, you figure there simply has to be some short term pain.
Those I WOULD want to be this AFL offseason
Zach Merrett
This time last year Merrett would have been top of my other list, but the veteran midfielder's wish of a fresh start at a new club has now been granted, and that must feel like an enormous weight has been lifted from his shoulders. Merrett joins the Hawks, a club which could easily have won the premiership this year if not for Hugh McCluggage's late heroics during preliminary final weekend. It means that for the first time in Merrett's career he will enter a season truly believing his side can go all the way. That's got to be a great feeling for an elite player who has toiled away for so long and enjoyed little success.
Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera
As we've established, his coach might be under immense pressure, but Wanganeen-Milera certainly shouldn't be feeling the pinch. In fact, he goes into next season with all options and possibilities on the table. If the Saints turn out to make good on their promise from last year and actually show they can compete with those at the pointy end, then he may well elect to sign on and remain at the club. But if 2027 turns out to be more of the same, he will have his choice of 17 new destinations to call home, including the two clubs from his home state of South Australia. Make no mistake, Wanganeen-Milera will be both the most discussed and in-demand player in the sport next season.
Andrew Mackie and Geelong's entire recruitment staff
When the siren sounded on the trade and free agency period, Geelong list boss Andrew Mackie should have been pumping his fists and popping bottles of champagne in celebration. The Cats have been arguably the biggest winners of the offseason to date, improving across every line with additions of former Giants captain Toby Greene, reliable ruck Rowan Marshall, and still criminally underrated key defender Jordan Ridley. It's a hefty haul and a great salvage after the club discovered at the eleventh hour it would be missing out on the services of Zak Butters. Mackie and his team have done their job, now it's over to Chris Scott and the playing group.
Fremantle fans
Alright, so there are the obvious reasons why you wouldn't want to be a Fremantle fan this offseason, but there are also plenty of reasons why you absolutely would. The Dockers came within an inch of winning their first premiership last month and proved to the footy world, and their supporters, the club has a list to not only go all the way in 2027 but remain one of the premier sides in the league for the next half decade. Just about everyone on this Fremantle squad is yet to hit their prime and has serious scope to improve next year. That should be both a worrying thought for the other 17 clubs and a great comfort to those who cheer for the men in purple.
Jason Horne-Francis
The departure of superstar midfielder Zak Butters during free agency means the keys to Port Adelaide now firmly belong to Horne-Francis. Some might argue he's shared those keys with Butters in recent years, but there's simply no denying who will be top dog at Port heading into next season. Horne-Francis is still just 23 years of age but he has shown he possesses all of the attributes to succeed as his club's main man. I expect him to relish the extra responsibility, too, and take his game to even greater heights. Jason, train hard and we'll see you in 2027!
Jaymie Graham
It must feel pretty special knowing a club made the decision to part ways with a four-time premiership-winning coach in favour of you, despite the fact you've never coached a senior AFL game. Graham arrives at Arden Street with an impressive resume as an assistant and has been tasked with ending North Melbourne's decade-long finals drought. Some will make the case he faces similar pressure to whoever takes over from Fagan at the Lions, but I see his role, at least in the immediate future, as one which carries far less of a burden. Given North's recent struggles, he will be offered (a little) time to get things right. His team is also in the sweet spot of being enough to win with now but not good enough to carry crazy expectation.