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.
Port Adelaide
Port Adelaide are another club in the finals or bust bracket, having missed finals in 2022 following successive top two finishes, in a disastrous season. Finishing so high in 2020 and 2021, they failed to make the grand final despite their incredible form arguably deserving one.
Coach Ken Hinkley has been at the helm for 10 years and is well aware this list is good enough to make the last Saturday in September. Having lost some experience in recent years, most notably club icon Robbie Gray, the onus is firmly on the youngsters of the playing group.
The likes of Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma, Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, Todd Marshall and Mitchell Georgiades need to stamp themselves as the next group of leaders at Alberton.
If this young core of extremely talented players can drive a push back up the ladder to finals, this season can be considered a pass.
Pass Mark: 11-14 wins and a finals berth.
