Everyone wants to win the flag but the reality is that at least half the competition is almost no chance every season. That doesn't mean there's nothing to hope for though.
Every club's situation is different, for some it's more wins, for others it's finals and for a select few, only the premiership will do.
With the AFL's unpredictability being one of its major draws, there's always the chance of a miracle season or a sudden upswing in form. Likewise, there's just as much chance of a nightmare campaign in terms of both form and injury.
As we look across the competition, the passing marks for the year will all be different. Simply saying premiership or bust is not reflective of where the majority of clubs are placed.
With that in mind, here are our pass marks for each AFL team for 2023.
North Melbourne
The past two years have been disastrous for North Melbourne, with back-to-back wooden spoons forcing the club to make some drastic moves. There was perhaps none more drastic move than appointing the greatest coach of the modern era in Alastair Clarkson.
Having boldly traded out former number one pick Jason Horne-Francis, as well as their number one pick in last year's draft, the Kangaroos still managed to secure two of the top four best young players in the country, while also banking some capital for the future.
After a two-win season, there isn't a high bar to jump over to have a better year in 2023, however Clarkson will have high standards in place and will be eyeing not only more wins, but a more competitive game style.
Should they win a handful of games, get a good amount of senior footy into their high draft picks and avoid the spoon again, the year can be deemed a pass.
Pass Mark: 4-8 wins and avoid the wooden spoon.
