A NEW year brings fresh hope and the opportunity for AFL coaches to turn over a new leaf.

So with season 2025 on the horizon, what will each coach be resolving to fix in the New Year?

MATTHEW NICKS (Adelaide)

It's time for Matthew Nicks to be brave as the Crows chase their first finals appearance since 2017. That means sticking to his selection guns and prioritising the new guard of Jake Soligo, James Peatling and Dan Curtin ahead of the loyal veterans who have served the club well. That doesn't mean the likes of Rory Laird, Brodie Smith and Matt Crouch won't have a significant role to play in 2025; just that the future lies with the under-23 brigade. If that means a couple of wobbly moments in the midfield during the season, only to have the engine room humming in August, then so be it. - Michael Rogers

CHRIS FAGAN (Brisbane)

Chris Fagan only has to look at 2024 for the benefits of not panicking after a slow start to the season and he'd do well to keep that in mind heading into 2025. The past two flag winners, Geelong and Collingwood, had poor openings to their premiership defences and were not able to right the ship, missing finals altogether. Brisbane's belief is sky-high right now and even if it also has a premiership hangover early in the year, its 2024 campaign – when it won the flag despite just four victories in the first 12 rounds – shows it has the fortitude to stay the course. – Martin Smith

MICHAEL VOSS (Carlton)

The Blues wanted an early pick in the 2024 draft and they got it, landing midfielder Jagga Smith at No.3. Carlton should be pushing for the ultimate success in 2025 and if Smith makes his mark early, Voss should be happy to unleash the teenager. Smith will be 19 in January and can be the damaging midfielder the Blues need to complement the likes of Patrick Cripps, Sam Walsh and George Hewett. If Smith shows he is ready to step up at the top level, Voss shouldn't hold him back. – Dejan Kalinic

CRAIG McRAE (Collingwood)

With the oldest and most experienced list heading into 2025, one of Craig McRae's biggest tasks should be working out just how to give some of his veterans a rest from time to time throughout the season. In all, the Pies have 10 players aged over 30, led by Scott Pendlebury (37 when the season starts), Steele Sidebottom (34) and Jeremy Howe (34), and the average age of the entire squad is 26.3 - another League-high. The club's strength and conditioning team might be working overtime, with other Magpies on the wrong side of 30 being Mason Cox, Jack Crisp, Jamie Elliott, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Brody Mihocek, Tom Mitchell and new recruit Tim Membrey. - Brandon Cohen

BRAD SCOTT (Essendon)

With Academy prospect Isaac Kako arriving at the Bombers during the draft, Scott must let his small forwards go to work in 2025. There are question marks over Essendon's forward set-up heading into the new season, but Scott has plenty of options and he must get answers this pre-season. Nate Caddy and Kako are set to be the central pieces of the Bombers' forward line for years to come, Kyle Langford will play a key role again in 2025 and Essendon will be hoping Peter Wright and Archie Perkins can recapture their best form. But in Jade Gresham, Matt Guelfi, Jye Menzie and Alwyn Davey jnr to go with Kako, Scott has plenty of smalls at his disposal, and Essendon must get its mix right in the new year. – Dejan Kalinic

JUSTIN LONGMUIR (Fremantle)

The Dockers' dour and low-scoring game style saw them land on the wrong side of the ledger more often than not in close matches this season, losing six of eight games after leading at three-quarter time. Freo showed glimpses of what it is capable of in attack in 2024, kicking 22 goals against Melbourne and hitting the 100-point mark in six games, but the Dockers needs to make sure that's a far more regular occurrence in 2025. Their inability to generate big scores and score quickly  werea big reason why they couldn't put teams to bed this season, and proved costly after missing the finals by half a game. - Alison O'Connor

CHRIS SCOTT (Geelong)

The act of luring Bailey Smith down the highway to Geelong might mean that the hard work has already been done on this one, but Chris Scott's resolution is simple: help the former Bulldog rediscover his best. The Bailey Smith of 2021 was one of the most dynamic young midfielders in the game, most notably with his crucial late goal against Brisbane in a thrilling semi-final at the Gabba. But it's been too long since Smith has produced his absolute best. Hopefully a change of environment will help, and Scott's renowned man-management skills should go a long way as well. - Michael Rogers

DAMIEN HARDWICK (Gold Coast)

There were two very different Gold Coast sides this season – the one that was unstoppable at home, and the one that fell to pieces on the road. While the Suns made their home deck somewhat of a fortress, winning 11 of 12 games as host, their poor record away from the comforts of home was a huge concern and will need to be rectified quick smart if they are to challenge for a premiership. Gold Coast was 0-9 away from home this season before two less then convincing road wins in the final weeks – a one-point win over Essendon and victory over cellar-dweller Richmond – brought that ledger to 2-9. It's all well and good to show up when you're in familiar surroundings, but the Suns must find a way to consistently win away from Carrara if they want to breakthrough for a maiden finals appearance. - Alison O'Connor

ADAM KINGSLEY (Greater Western Sydney)

After finishing in the top four and then blowing two match-winning positions in successive finals, Adam Kingsley will be hell-bent on ensuring the Giants learn how to hold onto a lead under pressure. The Giants were magnificent for much of the season and twice looked set to march into a preliminary final, before coughing up a 28-point lead against Sydney and then losing from 44 points up against eventual premier Brisbane. This year's September misses follow a one-point loss to Collingwood in the 2023 prelim, making a tough finals formline for the Giants to read over. There's no doubting the talent at GWS, but the mentality – and perhaps the method – needs a tweak. - Michael Rogers

SAM MITCHELL (Hawthorn)

Avoid a 0-5 start. And that means beating Sydney at the SCG for the first time since 2021. And not losing to Essendon for a fifth match in a row. And then banking the four points against Carlton, Greater Western Sydney and Port Adelaide in Adelaide in a rematch of their heated semi-final. Sounds simple, right? The Hawks got off to the worst possible start to 2024 before a stunning turnaround saw them reel off 14 wins from 18 games to surge into finals. While they'll take plenty of confidence from that late form into next season, coach Sam Mitchell will be desperate to notch up some early wins to give him some breathing room later in the year. - Brandon Cohen

SIMON GOODWIN (Melbourne)

Melbourne's defence-first mindset might have been a big reason why it broke its premiership drought in 2021, but the game has evolved and, well, the Demons have not. After straight-sets finals exits in the ensuing two seasons, and a 14th-place finish in 2024, it's time for coach Simon Goodwin to tweak his gameplan to ensure it stacks up in modern football. The Demons broke the 100-point barrier on just four occasions in 2024, but for the vast majority of the year, their ability to score was a painful watch. Bringing back the fun (and scoring) and steering away from the defence-heavy style of play should be priority No.1 for Goodwin. - Alison O'Connor

ALASTAIR CLARKSON (North Melbourne)

Alastair Clarkson simply must not move Harry Sheezel out of the middle. Ever. Composed, clean and unflustered, Sheezel was superb off half-back in his debut season to easily win the Telstra AFL Rising Star Award. He remained in the role for the first seven rounds of 2024, before a shift into the centre allowed him to showcase more of his skills in the front half of the ground where he's also able to hit the scoreboard. It's a move that paid off handsomely, with Sheezel rated elite in several key categories and ending the year averaging 29.8 disposals (seventh in the comp) and kicking 14 goals. - Brandon Cohen

KEN HINKLEY (Port Adelaide)

No one in the competition has ever questioned the raw attributes of Jack Lukosius and helping him realise his enormous potential will be top of Ken Hinkley's priority list in 2025. Athletic and skilful both above his head and by foot, Lukosius could be an X-factor in attack for the Power this year if Hinkley can help the local boy feel at home at his new club. Small forwards Joe Richards and Joe Berry have also arrived in the off-season, while Sam Powell-Pepper will feel like a new player after an injury-ravaged 2024, so Hinkley has a lot of elements to play with in a forward line that will no longer have the dominant presence of Charlie Dixon at its core. Getting all those elements to work together, particularly Lukosius, will be one of Hinkley's big challenges in 2025. – Martin Smith

ADEM YZE (Richmond)

Richmond was on the receiving end of the biggest influx of top-end junior talent to one club since Greater Western Sydney entered the competition in 2012, and all eyes are now on Adem Yze to see how he handles his haul of new talent. While it will no doubt be a delicate balancing act, Yze simply has to get the games into the kids, irrespective of how inexperienced that will make his side. Short-term pain for long-term gain, you might say. It's going to be a tough few seasons on-field for the Tigers as their young stars are introduced to the AFL, but patience will be key for the second-year coach. - Alison O'Connor

ROSS LYON (St Kilda)

Win when it matters. The Saints found some form late in 2024 when they were already out of finals contention, but struggled to win when it mattered earlier in the season. While they made the road to finals difficult for some clubs at the pointy end of the year, the Saints could not cope with the heat, resulting in another middling season. If the Saints are serious about success, they need to find a way to withstand the pressure and win when it counts. - Sophie Welsh

DEAN COX (Sydney)

The early noise from new Sydney coach Dean Cox about the Grand Final defeat has been welcome. Rather than passing it off as a one-off nightmare, he's expressed a strong desire to address the underlying issues that were exposed so ruthlessly by Brisbane – contest work and defence when the pressure is hot. The Swans were magnificent for most of 2024 and with no major list changes in the off-season, there'd be a temptation to just roll the 2024 game style into 2025. The Swans don't need a revolution, but evolution is essential if they are to finally break their flag drought, and a fresh voice at the top that Cox will bring could be just what they need. – Martin Smith

ANDREW McQUALTER (West Coast)

It's mission 'make Harley Reid feel at home' for the Eagles this year. The 2023 No.1 draft pick delivered on his generational promise in an eventful debut season, but he is yet to commit to West Coast beyond his original three-year contract. Colossal offers are set to come from Victorian clubs but the Eagles – as they always have – will back themselves to convince Reid that Perth's biggest AFL club is the right place for him to develop. Experienced recruits Liam Baker and Jack Graham will help ease the burden in the midfield, but nothing is as convincing as winning, and first-year senior coach Andrew McQualter will be acutely aware that West Coast needs to make progress after four seasons of struggle. - Michael Rogers

LUKE BEVERIDGE (Western Bulldogs)

Beveridge enters 2025 in the final year of his contract and all his attention should be on setting the Dogs up for a top-four finish for the first time since he took charge, and earning a new deal. The 2016 premiership coach will forever be part of the club's history after that fairytale flag, and having coached more games at the helm than anyone else. In 10 seasons under Beveridge, the Bulldogs have made the finals seven times, but had September wins in just two of those campaigns, with the 2016 success followed by a run to the 2021 Grand Final. What has made things hard for the Dogs is they have never finished in the top four under Beveridge, something he would be keen to correct in 2025. – Dejan Kalinic