As AFL legends reach their twilight years, up-and-coming youngsters present themselves to fill the void the club stalwarts will leave in their retirement.
It is a change of the guard process seen regularly in the competition, with clubs reducing the responsibility of their veterans and blooding more time into their younger options.
An example from 2024 is Shannon Neale's emergence during Tom Hawkins' sidelined stint with injury, eventuating in the 22-year-old being chosen over the healthy Cats legend in the finals series.
The ever-improving midfield group of Andrew Brayshaw, Caleb Serong and Hayden Young have now surpassed dual Brownlow medallist Nat Fyfe as the core centre bounce attendees.
Hawthorn have begun phasing out triple-premiership players Luke Breust and Jack Gunston through limited substitute roles, despite the former leading the goalkicking count just a season ago in 2023, as the Hawks bring on the young brigade.
So who's likely to be given more game time in 2025 from your club?
The Adelaide Crows could begin trialling the key forward duo of Darcy Fogarty and Riley Thilthorpe as Taylor Walker enters the final years of his career.
Thilthorpe's physical transformation ascended him into the conversation after inconsistent appearances at the level in his first couple of seasons, while Fogarty claimed his maiden leading goalkicker award last season.
For the Brisbane Lions, Tom Doedee's return from injury could spell the end of a hard-fought position held by Ryan Lester. Lester played every game in 2024, but as he approaches year 15 in the AFL system, 27-year-old Doedee may be a better long-term fit, let alone an arguably more skilled defender.
Tom De Koning is primed to make the ruck role his own in 2025, meaning the Carlton Blues may officially change the guard from Marc Pittonet. The magnets already started to shift in 2024, with Pittonet playing just 14 games, albeit due to some injury niggles, however it granted De Koning more ruck opportunity.
A 34-hitout, 25-disposal and one-goal performance against Geelong highlighted the breakout star De Koning can be, and with an all-in approach for a premiership, 2025 is no better time to hand the 25-year-old the ruck reins.
At Collingwood, Steele Sidebottom and Scott Pendlebury still remain an important duo despite their age. However, it would be unsurprising if they reduce their responsibilities in 2025 should the likes of Ed Allan and Fin Macrae emerge as breakout players.
Allan and Macrae have been touted to explode by pundits and teammates alike, and with a return to premiership contention calling, these two young guns may find themselves vying for a spot in the best 23 come September.
Across at Windy Hill, the changing of the guard is already in full swing with Archie Roberts set to claim the position of Dyson Heppell. Heppell played 18 matches in 2024, but was effectively dropped for Roberts for Rounds 21-24, although Heppell made a return in his Round 24 farewell game at the Gabba.
While Roberts played just the last month of football in 2024, don't be shocked to see him line up for the Bombers on Friday night in Round 1.
Trade recruit Shai Bolton may spell the end of Michael Walters' glittering career up forward for the Dockers.
Walters has headlined the small forwards for the Dockers since Hayden Ballantyne's departure in 2019, but with the X-factor of Bolton coming into the mix, Fremantle may become less reliant on the loyal veteran.
Walters kicked just a goal per game in 2024, continuing a slight decline each season as the 33-year-old reaches the twilight of his career.
Back in Victoria to Geelong, the addition of Bailey Smith could mean less midfield time for the ageing Patrick Dangerfield.
While the 34-year-old veteran certainly isn't heading to play in the reserves anytime soon, the inclusion of Smith will allow Dangerfield to rest up forward more often, where he has shown he has a knack for scoring.
With reduced time in the midfield, Dangerfield can be his explosive self while he is there, providing game-changing moments for Geelong while minimising the risk of overdoing his workload and falling victim to a soft tissue injury, as has happened previously.
Is 2025 the year Ned Moyle makes his case for the number one ruck role?
Moyle has been patiently biding his time at the Gold Coast Suns in the shadow of Jarrod Witts - and rightfully so given Witts' talent.
While Witts has shown no signs of slowing down just yet, averaging a whopping 37.5 hitouts in 2024, he is 32 years of age, marking him the oldest player on the list.
Moyle is certainly the long-term option and has the potential to become an AFL star, so how the Suns balance the two giants will be an intriguing situation to watch next season.
Adam Kingsley may be anticipating a change of the guard at GWS in 2025, with Callan Ward and Stephen Coniglio the oldest and fourth-oldest players at the club, let alone being easily the most senior midfielders.
Callan Ward has already begun to shift into fewer rotations and is probable to continue that trend in 2025, attending just 16 per cent of centre bounces in 2024 compared to 51 per cent in 2023.
James Peatling and Toby Bedford looked the likely options to phase out Stephen Coniglio, but with Peatling leaving for the Crows, there may still be room at the table for 31-year-old Coniglio in 2025.
Hawthorn's changing selections are fairly obvious to predict with the recruits of Tom Barrass and Josh Battle.
While being just two and five years younger than Sam Frost, it seems likely that the 31-year-old will be squeezed out of Hawthorn's backline despite achieving a career-best year in 2024.
For the Demons, the Harrison Petty forward experiment is presumably over with the defender training in the backline this pre-season.
With Petty removed from the forward mix, it gives Jacob van Rooyen his chance to become the team's key forward for the future, while other youngsters such as Daniel Turner and draftee Harvey Langford can also forge a spot in the side.
Additionally, watch out for Brisbane recruit Harry Sharp and 2023 father-son selection Kynan Brown to tussle for the vacant Alex Neal-Bullen position, with the 29-year-old moving to Adelaide in the off-season.
At a young side like North Melbourne, it may not be an old player getting squeezed out of position in 2025.
While being announced as the sole skipper for the 2025 season, Jy Simpkin may find himself attending fewer centre bounces this year with the absurd abundance of Kangaroo midfield talent.
At 26 years old, Simpkin was the fourth-oldest Kangaroo before the veteran inclusions of Luke Parker, Jack Darling and Caleb Daniel.
He remains the oldest midfielder however, but he will be vying for a position against supremely talented top 10 picks Harry Sheezel, Colby McKercher, George Wardlaw, Finn O'Sullivan, and Luke Davies-Uniacke.
Simpkin spent some time ahead of the ball in 2024, decreasing his centre bounce attendances by seven per cent, and may do that again in 2025 so Alastair Clarkson can begin to implement more core midfield minutes into his young superstars.
Sheezel spent just five per cent of 2023 as an on-baller; however, that increased to 31 per cent in 2024 and will likely skyrocket again this season. Wardlaw increased his centre bounce attendance rate by 18 per cent compared to 2023, while McKercher's four per cent in 2024 is bound to improve in 2025.
An impressive finals campaign could see Jase Burgoyne spend more minutes on the wing in 2025, phasing out loyal club legend Travis Boak from the main line-up.
Boak has been reducing his centre bounce appearances with the talents of Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Jason Horne-Francis emerging over recent years, but has still found a home on the wing or forward of the ball.
However, with Burgoyne proving he belongs on the big stage with an exceptional wing performance against Hawthorn in the sem-final, Boak may be reduced to a sub role in 2025 or played majorly in the forward line.
READ: Naming your AFL team's best 23 for 2025
Richmond are unlikely to have many changes of the guard with veterans dropped to the VFL, given their young list needing some experience on matchday.
It's more likely young Tigers will be phased into the team under the guidance of veterans, rather than veterans getting phased out.
That being said, a rapid adaption to the top flight by Sam Lalor or Josh Smillie could reduce the midfield minutes of veteran Dion Prestia and potentially even for former Giants Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto, although the latter is a long stretch.
At St Kilda, Ryan Byrnes racked up 20 games to his name in 2023 and followed up with 15 in 2024, making a case to replace Bradley Hill as a main winger in the Saints' lineup.
31-year-old Hill has been a key to the Saints squad over his time at Moorabbin, but Byrnes' increasing involvement alongside first-year Darcy Wilson could see Hill be forced out in 2025.
Furthermore, draftee Tobie Travaglia could also present as a wing option as he trains in the position this pre-season.
The Swans bat remarkably deep across all three lines so it is difficult to see any up-and-comers steal a spot away from a regular inclusion in 2025.
Former Saint Ben Paton has impressed teammates at training and could become a defensive inclusion in what may be, albeit slightly, Sydney's weakest positional line.
However, it's hard to see anyone make way this year.
At West Coast, Reuben Ginbey could be due for more midfield minutes as Elliot Yeo and Tim Kelly enter their 30s for a second season.
Ginbey's centre bounce attendance actually decreased by ten per cent in 2024 with the arrival of Harley Reid, but as West Coast aims to build for the future, Ginbey's appearances at the bounce should increase again in his third season.
Rory Lobb and Liam Jones held down the fort well in 2024, but uncapped first-round draft pick Jedd Busslinger is eagerly waiting to pounce on a key position down back.
Whether the Bulldogs are contending again in 2025 will likely be the difference-maker to when Luke Beveridge turns to youth, but perhaps an out-of-form beginning to the year to either veteran could see them make way for a Busslinger debut.