Training 2025 Pre-Season

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Which player at your club needs a big pre-season?

With clubs set to return to training for 2025 next month, we've gone through all 18 teams to find that player who needs to go to a new level next campaign or deliver when the pressure is on.



Whether a position has opened up for that player or whether the your club is banking on a certain name to produce in a big way, here's our picks for all 18 teams.






The player at all 18 AFL clubs that needs an enormous pre-season​






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Wayne Milera

It feels like Wayne Milera is always mentioned in these types of articles.

He has always promised so much, yet is his body constantly lets him down and he just cannot string games together.

The sublimely talented 27-year-old, who is stranded on 99 AFL games, has played just 39 matches across the last four seasons, including only three in 2024.

He has been denied regular game time by stress fractures, patella tendon injuries and other various ailments.

Milera played 22 games in 2023 and finished 10th in the best and fairest. That’s what the Crows needs from him in 2025 and beyond.

At his best he provides cleverness, drive and quality ball use off half-back which is something Matthew Nicks could use as the Crows push towards a much-needed finals berth.
 

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He won it twice. Also has an SANFL league and reserves flag, and WWT were pretty successful during his tenure.

I'm not saying there aren't potentially better candidates but that's his credits on paper.
I still hate the p.s. He really gets right up my nose.
 
Which player at your club needs a big pre-season?

With clubs set to return to training for 2025 next month, we've gone through all 18 teams to find that player who needs to go to a new level next campaign or deliver when the pressure is on.



Whether a position has opened up for that player or whether the your club is banking on a certain name to produce in a big way, here's our picks for all 18 teams.






The player at all 18 AFL clubs that needs an enormous pre-season​






ADELAIDE club banner


Wayne Milera

It feels like Wayne Milera is always mentioned in these types of articles.

He has always promised so much, yet is his body constantly lets him down and he just cannot string games together.

The sublimely talented 27-year-old, who is stranded on 99 AFL games, has played just 39 matches across the last four seasons, including only three in 2024.

He has been denied regular game time by stress fractures, patella tendon injuries and other various ailments.

Milera played 22 games in 2023 and finished 10th in the best and fairest. That’s what the Crows needs from him in 2025 and beyond.

At his best he provides cleverness, drive and quality ball use off half-back which is something Matthew Nicks could use as the Crows push towards a much-needed finals berth.
Pedlar.
 
Why does everyone forget Curtin?

He’s going to be front and centre imo.

Curtin won't be front and center in 2025. If he's at an AFL average production level next year, and showing signs he can be more, we're cheering.
 
Exactly. People forget he's a TALL. They take longer.

It's not that he's a tall - it's only rucks that take longer - it's that Curtin at this point is roughly where you expect a first-round draftee to be. He's got through year one, got a handful of games (not enough, but still), and had some moments that show he's a serious prospect moving forward.

The expectation next year is he tears up pre-season, converts that start into being a locked-in best 22 player, and puts up AFL average numbers in the bottom half of our lineup alongside showing flashes that he's still a serious prospect.
 
Curtin won't be front and center in 2025. If he's at an AFL average production level next year, and showing signs he can be more, we're cheering.
I think he plays a full season in the 1's and he has a lot of talent. As a bigger mid, he will be able to handle the physicality - I believe he will be someone that we value in-game by the end of the season.
 

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Curtin won't be front and center in 2025. If he's at an AFL average production level next year, and showing signs he can be more, we're cheering.
Nat Fyfe averaged 25 touches and 4 clearances a game in his second season after being drafted as a scrawny tall

If he's genuinely elite he should be front and centre in his second season. Third season at the latest
 
If we work out where we want to play him....
Good teams don't **** about with this stuff and have a plan early.

The reason Crows supporters think elite players take a while to get up to speed is because we don't usually plan for our draftees to come in and play important roles. At least not in the last decade.

I'm sure many have forgotten that Brodie Smith and Matt Crouch were both All Australian in just their fourth season
 
Good teams don't **** about with this stuff and have a plan early.

The reason Crows supporters think elite players take a while to get up to speed is because we don't usually plan for our draftees to come in and play important roles. At least not in the last decade.

I'm sure many have forgotten that Brodie Smith and Matt Crouch were both All Australian in just their fourth season
I know they're high end picks but Filthy and Max slotted to key forward and defensive roles in their first seasons with no real issues.
 
It's not that he's a tall - it's only rucks that take longer - it's that Curtin at this point is roughly where you expect a first-round draftee to be. He's got through year one, got a handful of games (not enough, but still), and had some moments that show he's a serious prospect moving forward.

The expectation next year is he tears up pre-season, converts that start into being a locked-in best 22 player, and puts up AFL average numbers in the bottom half of our lineup alongside showing flashes that he's still a serious prospect.
It's only rucks that take longer?
 
I think he plays a full season in the 1's and he has a lot of talent. As a bigger mid, he will be able to handle the physicality - I believe he will be someone that we value in-game by the end of the season.

There is still a rather large distance between "someone we value" and a major factor to a team's success. Someone we value is what I described. Someone you can throw into the 11-22 slots of your lineup and bank on solid week-in, week-out performances, but those players aren't the heavy hitters to a team being successful.

Nat Fyfe averaged 25 touches and 4 clearances a game in his second season after being drafted as a scrawny tall

If he's genuinely elite he should be front and centre in his second season. Third season at the latest

I wouldn't be too surprised if second year is the least likely point in the first five years where players break out into being top players for their teams. I can only think of Cripps, Fyfe and Butters, and of those three Cripps was the only one who came from nowhere.

My guess is from most common to least: 3rd, 4th, 1st, 5th, 2nd, with there being a large drop off between 4th and 1st.

It's only rucks that take longer?

Pretty much. An elite key forward would be near-identical to elite midfielders when it comes to timing, where you'd expect on average 4 years to get there.

There might be a lag due to limited positions though.
 
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It's not that he's a tall - it's only rucks that take longer - it's that Curtin at this point is roughly where you expect a first-round draftee to be. He's got through year one, got a handful of games (not enough, but still), and had some moments that show he's a serious prospect moving forward.

The expectation next year is he tears up pre-season, converts that start into being a locked-in best 22 player, and puts up AFL average numbers in the bottom half of our lineup alongside showing flashes that he's still a serious prospect.
I would think/hope 12-15 games is his target

Anymore would be a bonus
 

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Training 2025 Pre-Season

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