THE START of the 2025 Toyota AFL Premiership Season is just over a month away.
Clubs are well and truly back into the swing of things and preparing for another massive campaign.
Some have enjoyed quieter off-seasons than others, with injuries, new contracts and potential positional changes the major talking points.
So, in case you missed it, here's what's been happening at your club over summer.
Ruckman Kieran Strachan won't be available for the start of the season after undergoing surgery to repair a stress fracture in his right foot. Defender Wayne Milera is in the final stages of his recovery from the ruptured patella tendon he suffered in the early stages of the 2024 season. In better news for the Crows, forward Darcy Fogarty turned his back on free agency, signing a long-term extension that will keep him at the club until the end of 2031. Key defender Nick Murray also penned a contract extension until the end of 2028, while utility Luke Nankervis has signed on until the end of 2027. After being central to on-and off-field controversy late last season, Josh Rachele has been tipped to go to a new level in 2025 after the controversial finish to his 2024 campaign.
Brisbane's injured brigade are on track for early-season availability, with Keidean Coleman, Linc McCarthy, Tom Doedee and Darcy Gardiner – all on the comeback trail from ruptured anterior cruciate ligaments – training strongly over the summer. Oscar McInerney, Henry Smith and Levi Ashcroft are also progressing from their respective off-season surgeries. The Lions will unfurl the premiership flag and begin their title defence at the Gabba in Opening Round against Geelong, setting the scene for an epic rematch of the two sides' memorable preliminary final. Premiership forward Cam Rayner shunned free agency to commit long-term to the club, signing on through to the end of the 2031 season. Coach Chris Fagan has also signed on, penning a two-year contract extension keeping him in charge until the end of 2027. Exciting father-son draftee Levi Ashcroft inherited the No.10 guernsey, the number worn by his dad and club legend, Marcus.
Nic Newman's season was over before it began after the defender ruptured his patella tendon in the left knee at training in January, ruling him out of the entire season. Sam Walsh is touch-and-go for the Blues' season opener after he suffered a serious hamstring strain at training post-Christmas. The setbacks continued a frustrating summer for the club on the injury front, with Charlie Curnow undergoing minor surgery on his knee while Alex Cincotta underwent surgery to address a hip issue. Curnow should be available for the start of the season, but Cincotta will miss the early rounds. Adam Cerra signed a five-year contract extension, tying him to the club until at least the end of 2030. Coach Michael Voss spent time with Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou in December, having jetted off to the United Kingdom to undertake a personal development trip. President Luke Sayers stepped down from the role despite being cleared by the AFL of any wrongdoing after a lewd image was posted from his social media account in January.
Luckless midfielder Tom Mitchell was dealt another blow after finally recovering from the plantar fasciitis issue that limited him to just six games last season, suffering a bone stress injury in his foot in December. He has started running again but is facing a delayed start to the 2025 season. After a frustrating 2024 season also dealing with plantar fasciitis, Brayden Maynard is on track to return to full fitness. Jordan De Goey completed some match simulation last week in a big step forward in his return to full fitness after an injury-hit 2024. Young Magpies Harvey Harrison and Harry DeMattia put pen to paper on contract extensions keeping them at the club until at least the end of 2027. Assistant coach Hayden Skipworth was given the reins and led the Magpies' pre-season program across the summer, with Craig McRae taking a back seat ahead of his fourth season in charge. Barry Carp was elected as the club's new president, replacing Jeff Browne after he stepped down citing a desire to focus on his health, while Charlie Gardiner was announced as the Magpies' new footy boss after six seasons at Sydney.
Young forward Alwyn Davey jnr underwent minor knee surgery recently and is expected to be out of training for at least a month. The Bombers expect Jye Caldwell to be back into full training soon after undergoing off-season hip surgery to fix the issue he carried in the back half of last season. Veteran midfielder Dylan Shiel has been trialled across half-back over the summer as the Bombers weigh up their options for 2025. Delisted Brisbane defender Jaxon Prior was signed on the opening day of the pre-season supplemental selection period. Prior's father Michael played 81 games for the club between 1994 and 2000. Meanwhile, fellow father-son Jayden Davey, son of 100-game Bombers forward Alwyn, was delisted after two seasons, and the Bombers also farewelled key forward Sam Weideman.
The Dockers locked away skipper Alex Pearce with a two-year extension, taking him to the end of 2027 and to a 14th season with the club. Injury-prone ruckman Sean Darcy has travelled to Qatar to continue his rehabilitation from knee surgery, and while Darcy's recovery is said to be tracking well, the club say they're looking for new ways to complement his rehab program. Hayden Young became the longest-contracted player in the League, signing a new deal that ties him to the club until 2033. The Dockers were breathing a sign of relief when the newly contracted star avoided another serious injury to his previously fractured leg at training December, escaping with only bone bruising. Father-son draftee Jaren Carr blitzed the Dockers' first time trial of the summer, while veterans Nat Fyfe and Michael Walters underwent minor knee surgeries post-season but are expected to be fit for round one. Recruit Shai Bolton said he is "energised" by playing in his home state after crossing from Richmond and has impressed with his skill and forward nous on the training track across the summer. Rookie Odin Jones underwent spinal surgery after fracturing a vertebrae in his spine in what the club described as a "freak accident". Meanwhile, the Dockers will face a star-studded Indigenous All-Stars team in an exhibition game in February, the first match of its kind in a decade. Off-field, Peter Bell departed the Dockers after several years in administration roles at the club.
The Cats signed former Blue Jack Martin as a delisted free agent on a two-year deal after he was axed by Carlton in September. Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart will lead Geelong for a third successive season after the pair were re-appointed captain and vice-captain, respectively. Geelong's midfield should receive a serious boost in 2025, with two-time best-and-fairest winner Cam Guthrie on track for a return after a frustrating run with injury, while the addition of former Bulldog Bailey Smith will further bolster the engine room. The club announced Smith will wear the coveted No.3 guernsey, following in the footsteps of 1963 premiership captain Fred Wooller, three-time All-Australian and former skipper Mark Bairstow, and Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel, among others. Off-field, director Grant McCabe was appointed president of the club after Craig Drummond opted to step down from the role after 13 years on the Board.
Prized recruit Daniel Rioli suffered a knee injury at training in November with scans revealing damage to his MCL, but the club remained hopeful the premiership Tiger would be available for their practice match and confident he will line up for Opening Round. The Suns will have a new look for season 2025, with the club unveiling a new logo and guernsey design as part of a total rebrand they've dubbed "fearless". The Suns will wear a red-on-red home jumper and blue-on-gold away guernsey in 2025. Southport half-back Ben Jepson is training with Gold Coast's squad during the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP) in the hope of landing a spot on the list, as is delisted Sun Hewago Oea. Meanwhile, back-up ruckman Ned Moyle told AFL.com.au in December that he is "looking at the bigger picture" and is happy to continue to hone his craft in the state league with Suns co-captain Jarrod Witts holding the No.1 ruck mantle. In big news on the AFLW front, the Suns appointed Rhyce Shaw as their next AFLW coach after parting ways with Cameron Joyce, making Shaw the first person to hold the title as a full-time senior coach at both AFL and AFLW level.
One of the biggest stories of the off-season came from the Giants, with the League suspending six players and fining seven others for their "distressing" conduct at an end-of-season function. Josh Fahey (four matches), Jake Riccardi, Joe Fonti, Toby McMullin, Harvey Thomas and the delisted Cooper Hamilton (two games each) were hit with bans, while skipper Toby Greene, Sam Taylor, Tom Green, Lachie Keef`fe, Harry Perryman (now at Collingwood), Connor Idun and Lachie Whitfield were fined. On the playing front, high-profile recruit Jake Stringer has made a strong early impression at his new club with Jake Kelly labelling the former Bomber's pre-season form as "dangerous", while Toby Bedford continued his reign as the Giants' time trial king on day one of pre-season. Former skipper Phil Davis' No.1 guernsey, only ever worn by the inaugural Giant, will have a new owner in 2025 with young gun Harvey Thomas continuing the jumper's legacy.
Young sensation Calsher Dear is facing a delayed start to 2025 after scans revealed a bone stress reaction in his lower back, with no timeline set for his return. Injured pair Mitch Lewis and James Blanck are ramping up their recovery from ACL tears with a trip to the United States to complete a rehabilitation block with internationally renowned reconditioning guru Bill Knowles. Both are aiming to be available by midway through the season. In better news for the Hawks, Sam Frost has fully recovered from the bone stress injury that ended his finals series last year, while Will Day's return from a complex collarbone injury is on track, resuming full-contact training after the Christmas break, while skipper James Sicily underwent a shoulder reconstruction in October to repair the injury that he carried across the season. After just 11 senior appearances last season, Changkuoth Jiath claimed honours in the first fitness test of the summer, holding off Josh Ward and Finn Maginness. Maginness shrugged off rival interest to sign a two-year contract extension that ties him to the club until the end of 2027. In other news, Hawthorn finally brought the club's racism saga to a close in November and vowed to repair relationships with the affected Indigenous former players.
Midfield gun Christian Petracca suffered a setback in his recovery from his traumatic mid-season injuries when he cracked a rib at training in January, while skipper Max Gawn won't return to full pre-season training until the end of the month after fracturing his voice box after being hit in the throat at training in December. In other injury news, Jake Lever is recovering from post-season knee and shoulder surgery and remains on a modified training program, but top draftee Xavier Lindsay (knee) and forward Charlie Spargo (Achilles) have integrated into full training after being restricted in the lead-up to Christmas. Recruit Harry Sharp has hit the ground running since switching to the club, dominating time trials. Premiership defender Harrison Petty looks set for a move back to defence, spending the summer training with the backline group after playing as a forward last season. Following 12 months of turmoil, an external review saw some changes in the Demons' coaching ranks. Nathan Bassett has joined as backline coach, former skipper Nathan Jones has taken on the role of midfield coach alongside Sam Radford, while Troy Chaplin has switched to forwards coach following Greg Stafford's departure. In other off-field news, chief executive Gary Pert finished up in the role at the end of December, and delisted Demon Joel Smith was suspended for four years and three months for anti-doping rule violations relating to cocaine use and trafficking.
Jy Simpkin will be the standalone captain at North this season, taking on the role solo for the first time since being appointed co-captain alongside Luke McDonald ahead of the 2023 season. McDonald opted to step aside prior to the leadership vote. Nick Larkey and Harry Sheezel have been appointed co-vice captains. There's renewed enthusiasm at the Roos with the injection of some much-needed experience, with premiership Eagle Jack Darling, Swans star Luke Parker and Bulldogs defender Caleb Daniel on board at Arden Street as Larkey said not winning had "worn super thin". On the injury front, Josh Goater (Achilles) is set to integrate into match simulation in the coming weeks, Callum Coleman-Jones (Achilles) has returned to on-ground running but isn't expected to be available until May at the earliest, while Zane Duursma (shoulder), Kallan Dawson (groin), Charlie Comben (shoulder), Aidan Corr (finger) and Griffin Logue (wrist) are all back on the training track after their injury setbacks. Meanwhile, North announced it will play two 'home' fixtures in Western Australia for each of the next three years - one match at Optus Stadium and one at Bunbury's Hands Oval - as part of its strategy to exit Tasmania where the Roos have played since 2012.
Forward Todd Marshall could miss the entire season after rupturing his Achilles tendon at training in January, while midfielder Willem Drew underwent a minor foot procedure in January but is expected to be back in full training in coming weeks. The club announced that recruit Joe Richards will wear the No.35 jumper, bringing it back more than 12 years after former player John McCarthy's death during a post-season trip to Las Vegas. Richards, who inherits the number with the blessing of McCarthy's family, has followed the same path as his predecessor from Collingwood to the Power. Club veteran Travis Boak will play on for a 19th season after signing a one-year contract extension, while ruckman Ivan Soldo has slotted back into the group seamlessly after his trade request to return to Victoria failed.
There was drama in the new year as Noah Balta was handed a four-match suspension after being charged with assault following an incident in Mulwala on December 30. He is due to appear in court later this month. Despite a host of premiership stars departing the club in the off-season, it wasn't all bad news for the Tigers as they took one of the best draft hands in recent memory to November's draft. Sam Lalor was crowned as the No.1 pick, while five other top-end players also landed at the Tigers with their suite of first-round selections. The club has committed to a full 12-month rehab for the six players recovering from ACL injuries with Judson Clarke first in line with a slated return of April, while first-round draftee Taj Hotton is targeting a return by June after he ruptured his ACL in in May, wiping out most of his draft year. The Tigers' Victorian recruiting manager Rhy Gieschen moved into the role of national recruiting manager in January, three months after recruiting boss Chris Toce tragically passed away following his brief battle with cancer.
It was a Christmas to forget for Paddy Dow, who spent three weeks in hospital over the summer with a persistent infection. SANFL star Harry Boyd signed with the Saints during the pre-season supplemental selection period (SSP), the ruckman completing the club's list for 2025 after a spot opened up following Brad Crouch's forced retirement. The Saints had previously signed Irishman Eamonn Armstrong as a Category B rookie. On the injury front, Anthony Caminiti (shoulder), Marcus Windhager (hamstring), Max King (knee) and Liam Stocker (groin) all had an interrupted start to their summer but have reintegrated into full training post-Christmas, however no timeline has been set for Liam Henry's return after off-season knee surgery. No.10 draft pick Alix Tauru has been on a modified training program as the Saints take a cautious approach to his back injury, but he is expected to begin full training in February. Former first-round pick Mattaes Phillipou could be in for a big year after reporting back for pre-season looking visibly stronger and fitter ahead of his third season. The Saints will have a new look in 2025, with the club unveiling a new crest for the first time in almost 30 years.
While the future of out-of-contract gun Chad Warner is set to be a major talking point this year, Errol Gulden says there won't be any additional pressure put on his teammate to make a decision. Draftee Jesse Dattoli suffered a setback in his first pre-season, sidelined until at least April after suffering a lumbar stress reaction in his lower back. John Longmire resigned as Sydney coach in November after leading the Swans to one premiership and four other Grand Final appearances in his 14 seasons at the helm, handing the reins to long-time assistant Dean Cox. Cox wasted no time adding his personal touch to the line-up, trialing key defender Tom McCartin as a full forward in the first pre-season session. Cox found himself with role of mediator at training last week when brothers Chad and Corey Warner found themselves in a tense exchange during a high-octane match simulation last week, with the pair having to be separated by Cox. Intent on putting their Grand Final capitulation behind them, the Swans underwent what Cox described as a "tough" review of their MCG flop with a day-long review of the nightmare showing.
There's been plenty of off-field drama at West Coast this summer, with Liam Ryan under investigation after allegedly being involved in a street fight and Reuben Ginbey arrested and charged by WA police after urinating in public at a music event. Elliot Yeo was sent for scans on his knee and ankle on Friday after injury forced him from the ground during match simulation training. Rhett Bazzo underwent surgery in January to repair a fractured bone in his right foot following a training incident. He is on a modified program but the Eagles are hopeful the defender will be available for the start of the season. Young gun Harley Reid had some early setbacks to his pre-season, sustaining a head knock at training in November placing him in concussion protocols, while he was also on completing a modified program as he recovered from an elbow injury and an old lower-leg injury. Delisted Gold Coast defender Sandy Brock is training with the Eagles' squad during the pre-season supplemental selection period as he vies for a spot on the list. Hard-running midfield recruit Jack Graham, who crossed to the Eagles as an unrestricted free agent from Richmond, made an impressive start to his time at the club by winning the first running test of the summer for the full squad. Liam Duggan and Oscar Allen have been named co-captains for a second consecutive season.
The short-term future of Jamarra Ugle-Hagan is uncertain with the gun forward spending part of the pre-season away from the club due to personal issues. Son of a gun Sam Darcy signed a four-year contract extension in December, keeping him at the Bulldogs until he is eligible for free agency, while key defender James O'Donnell signed a contract extension until the end of 2027. Draftee Luke Kennedy made an eye-catching early impression at Mission Whitten Oval by winning the 2km time trial, leading skipper Marcus Bontempelli home just ahead of small forward Cody Weightman. Spearhead Aaron Naughton followed a modified program pre-Christmas after managing knee issues during the season but returned to full training after the break. Bulldogs list manager Sam Power was appointed interim head of football at the Whitten Oval, stepping in to cover the loss of Chris Grant following his departure from the role after nine seasons in the football department and more than 30 years as a player, board member and administrator at the club. Ballarat proved a happy hunting ground for the Bulldogs in 2024, securing their finals berth with a final-round win at Mars Stadium, and the Dogs extended their partnership with the City of Ballarat for another three years. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs announced they will celebrate the club's 100-year anniversary in the VFL/AFL when they host Collingwood at the MCG in round two.