IT'S that time of the year.

With the season fast approaching, teams are looking for any improvement they can find, and that can come with positional changes.

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Last year, Bailey Smith was an All-Australian after getting more midfield minutes at Geelong, while Josh Daicos starred as a permanent half-back for Collingwood and Sydney also had success with Sam Wicks' move from the forward line to defence.

So what will 2026 bring? Take a look at some of the positional changes to watch out for as the AAMI Community Series gets underway.

Is Riley Thilthorpe about to take over from Luke Jackson as the biggest midfielder in the AFL? The 201cm star forward made a shock appearance at centre bounces late in Adelaide's match simulation against Port, and coach Matthew Nicks indicated it's something the Crows will try during the season proper. Another Crow set for a new role is Brayden Cook, who has impressed during the pre-season as a half-back. Labelled "a beautiful kick (and) a good decision maker" by Nicks, Cook has also spent time on the wing and looks set for a breakout campaign having managed just 30 games across five seasons. 

Brisbane appears set to pull a switch-a-roo with two returning stars, shifting silky half-back Keidean Coleman into attack and crafty forward Lincoln McCarthy down back. Coleman missed the entire 2024 season with a ruptured ACL and managed just one senior appearance in 2025 amid knee and quad setbacks, but he showed promising signs in the Lions' match simulation against Carlton, looking sharp and hitting the scoreboard with a goal. McCarthy, back in the mix after the heartbreak of consecutive ACL ruptures, lined up at half-back in the scratch match and looms as a genuine option in defence as Brisbane reshapes its back six ahead of the season.

Zac Williams is returning to defence for the Blues. The 31-year-old had moved into the forward line across recent seasons, and kicked 22 goals in 2025 as one of Carlton's most dangerous small forwards. Williams played as a rebounding half-back earlier in his career and will head back there to add some speed and polish to Carlton's play out of defence.

Jordan De Goey playing in midfield is hardly a new thing, but the dynamic star is set for even more time on the ball in 2026 after a solid pre-season. The 29-year-old played just 21 full games in the past two years due to injury, meaning he spent plenty of time forward as he rebuilt his match fitness on the run. But after a strong training block over summer, De Goey looks ready to be a key figure in the Pies' engine room this year. Beau McCreery is another to keep an eye on having also spent time on the ball during the match simulation against the Giants.

After making his mark at half-back last year, Archie Roberts has spent more time as a midfielder this pre-season. The left-footer adds depth to the Bombers' midfield, while still being able to play in defence and on the wing. While he arrived at Essendon in last year's AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft as a ruck, Lachie Blakiston started his AFL career as a key defender amid an injury crisis, but the 27-year-old is set to begin 2026 in the ruck with Nick Bryan recovering from his ACL injury.

The Dockers are fairly stable heading into 2026, but just where on the ground Luke Jackson plays will again be a fascinating watch. Having spent time forward and on the ball in Origin, Jackson played full-time ruck in the match simulation against the Eagles, with Sean Darcy sidelined and Mason Cox spending time forward. It's likely Jackson will continue to rotate through all three positions during the year, but just what balance is struck remains to be seen. Hayden Young is another to watch early in the year after he spent plenty of time in the forward half against the Eagles, including as the deepest forward at one stage. 

Is one of the best pure wingmen in the game about to move on the ball? Ollie Dempsey has spent plenty of time as an inside midfielder over the summer and in the match simulation against Hawthorn, so expect to see plenty of him at stoppages in 2026. Tanner Bruhn, who feels like a fresh recruit having missed the entirety of last season, is another set for a role change this year. The 23-year-old midfielder has been training at half-back and has impressed over summer with his ability to win the footy and find a target coming out of defence. 

The Suns are expected to deploy Wil Powell in a new midfield role this season, adding to an already powerful unit that boasts the likes of Noah Anderson, Matt Rowell and recruit Christian Petracca. Touk Miller will spend more time as a half-forward, while Ethan Read, who has played all his fledgling career as a key forward and relief ruck, has been training on a wing and could be another point of difference for Damien Hardwick's men.

Mercurial forward Toby Greene is getting back to his roots, with the 32-year-old set to spend more time in the midfield in 2026. Greene started his AFL career in the guts before moving to the forward line, where he earned a reputation as one of the competition's biggest threats around the sticks. With the Giants looking to go even deeper into September this season, coach Adam Kingsley is hoping some of Greene's offensive X-factor will translate into midfield flair.

Losing Will Day for the first half of the season is far from ideal but the Hawks have several players who are more than capable of rotating through the middle. Chief among them is Connor Macdonald, who has trained all summer with the midfielders and was the club's best player there in last week's match sim against Geelong. While he will still spend time in his usual half-forward position, expect Macdonald's numbers to skyrocket off the back of his new role. Others who are set to get increased midfield minutes include Nick Watson, Dylan Moore and Josh Weddle, who could also be deployed across multiple lines.

Former first-round pick Koltyn Tholstrup has been in and out of the Demons' side as a half-forward across his first two seasons but he could be in for a refreshed role under new coach Steven King. The West Australian has honed his craft in defence over summer and spent time across half-back in last week's match sim against North Melbourne - a clear signal the magnets could be shifting. With the exit of Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver and an injury setback for veteran Jack Viney, there's also big change coming in the Demons' midfield. Expect hard-running Caleb Windsor, rising prospect Harvey Langford and premiership defender Trent Rivers to feature far more prominently onball this season.

The Kangaroos have decided to move Cooper Harvey to defence this pre-season. Harvey kicked 10 goals in seven games in the back end of last year to earn a one-year extension, but has been moved to half-back in 2026. After impacting at half-back and on the wing in his first year, Finn O'Sullivan – the No.2 pick in the 2024 draft – is set for more midfield time this season.

After 12 months out with an Achilles injury, Todd Marshall is set to return to AFL footy as a defender. The Power unveiled Marshall in the backline during the second half of Friday's match simulation, but the move has been many months in the works as new coach Josh Carr looks to improve Port's contest work and ball use down back.

There won't be too many changes for the Tigers, but 2024 No.1 pick Sam Lalor and Jack Ross will play more midfield minutes as they look to build towards the future. Noah Balta, who played all over the ground in an interrupted 2025, is set to be a mainstay in defence this year after a strong pre-season.

The high-profile acquisition of ruck Tom De Koning from Carlton cast a shadow over Rowan Marshall's role at St Kilda - so much so that the 30-year-old requested a trade out of the club - but expect Marshall to spend most of his game time playing forward in 2026. Marcus Windhager is set to line up at half-back as Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera gets more midfield minutes, as is Jack Carroll, who has been training with the backs across pre-season. 

Having played just 19 games in the past two campaigns, Callum Mills is back to full fitness and set to re-establish himself as a permanent half-back option, having shifted into the midfield before his recent injury issues. Midfield time could come later in the year, but Dean Cox has been firm that the co-captain will start the year behind the ball. Youngster Ned Bowman was another who had shifted into defence over summer, but a serious hamstring issue has derailed the start of his season, while two-time All-Australian wingman Errol Gulden looks set for more inside midfield time on his return from injury. The great unknown is Logan McDonald; he kicked four goals in the match simulation against the Bulldogs, but Cox has floated the prospect of playing down back, on the wing or even in the ruck.

Having made an instant impact at the Eagles after arriving as the top pick in last year's AFL Mid-Season Rookie Draft, Tom McCarthy is set for even more responsibility in 2026. McCarthy started his AFL career at half-back but is set to lead the Eagles' midfield this year. Elliot Yeo is set to spend more time forward, while recruit Brandon Starcevich could get his chance to play in the midfield at times.

Reinvented as a defensive forward at Gold Coast last year, Connor Budarick is returning to his preferred position, as a small defender, with the Bulldogs in 2026. Budarick told AFL.com.au earlier this month that being able to play in his preferred role was part of the reason for leaving the Suns.