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.
Carlton
After exploding out of the blocks to start 2022, Carlton looked certainties to finally feature in September again. However, some old habits crept in that, when coupled with crucial injuries, cost them dearly.
There simply cannot be a repeat in 2023. This Carlton list is too good to be missing finals footy. The key focus for them will be to keep their top 10-12 players fit and on the park, something that is already off to a bad start following the news that Sam Walsh has a stress-related injury in his back.
That aside, the Blues will not make excuses and will view playing consistently at their best every week as a bare minimum. For season 2023 to get a pass mark, Carlton will need to feature in September, something they are more than capable of achieving.
Pass Mark: 13 or more wins and finals.
