The 2024 season showcased several outstanding individual performances. While AFL is fundamentally a team sport, many of the league's top players are expected to deliver exceptional individual performances week after week. The likes of Nick Daicos, Isaac Heeney, Jesse Hogan, Lachie Neale, Marcus Bontempelli, and Patrick Cripps delivered dominant outings each week.
Though not all players were at their best in season 2024, and many stars of the competition underperformed compared to what they were capable of and fell short of expectations.
Below, we have looked at four players who may have fallen short of their potential in season 2024.
Darcy Moore had a rough 2024 season and was seen doing uncharacteristic things in defence. The 2023 premiership player had a period where it was suggested the skipper should be dropped to the reserves for a week so he could find his form again.
The former All-Australian would like to make 2024 a year to forget, though at the latter end of the season he was showcasing more Moore-type performances while still far from his best.
Moore was seen struggling at contests, often second to the football and out-muscled by opponents. The key defender's decision-marking and positional awareness were lacking, far from the premiership player's best.
It is expected Moore will be back at his best in 2025 and eager to improve to get back to being one of the best defenders in the competition.
Sam De Koning did not have the season he would have expected. The premiership player played 19 games, though do not feature in the Cats' final series as he could not get back into the side after injury.
De Koning has been one of Geelong's most exciting young players, but this year struggled with consistency and made mistakes under pressure that the 23-year-old would not normally make.
The young gun did not seem to reach new heights in 2024, and a knee injury likely put a burden on the rest of his season. Despite being fit, senior coach Chris Scott opted not to pick him for their finals matches.
De Koning also seemed to lack a bit of confidence in defence this year, but that may be due to his age and experience.
Though the youngster still showed many promising signs in a ruck role, he was not in their best 23 in September, so an opportunity may arise for his talent to be utilised elsewhere.
Tim English was far from his best in 2024. The former All-Australian played 23 games for the Bulldogs, though he did not have the impact he did in 2023.
Last year, English was the best ruckman in the competition, and there were high expectations for him to continue his dominance in the middle and have another strong season. Though English lacked in season 2024, and while he wasn't horrible, he simply was not at his best. He still had moments of dominating in the middle but didn't stand out as much as he did in 2023.
English averaged 27 hitouts and 16 disposals in 2024, down from his 2023 statistics of 31 hitouts and 19 disposals.
Now, with some certainty on his playing future as well, this will give the ruckman some stability, and it's expected the big man will have a huge pre-season and look towards 2025 to be one of the best rucks in the competition again.
Jamarra Ugle-Hagan had an inconsistent year at the Bulldogs. The former No.1 draft pick was in his fourth year as an AFL player, and it was expected to be a big year for the key forward. However, the 22-year-old failed to reach the levels hoped for on a consistent basis.
Ugle-Hagan kicked 43 goals this season but didn't quite hit his stride. As the Bulldogs' primary forward target inside 50, there were moments where he struggled to fully embrace that role.
The 22-year-old finished 15th in the Coleman Medal race, trailing winner Jesse Hogan by 34 goals.
While expectations were higher for the key forward this year, he still showed glimpses of his potential. With a strong pre-season, Ugle-Hagan is poised for a coming-of-age campaign in 2025.