The summer break is a slow and quiet time regarding the AFL but it does provide one thing: time to put on our thinking caps.
All our attention has been averted to the upcoming 2025 campaign and fans and players are itching for the bounce of the ball for various reasons.
But as in every year, some may be dreading the beginning of the new season moreso than others based on the scrutiny they have faced or could potentially walk into.
The scrutiny could revolve around off-field antics or a disappointing 2024 year.
A dissection with a fine-tooth comb could also be a direct result of moving clubs or better yet, weighing up what club to choose during the AFL season.
Despite if it is unfair or unjust, these are the players that we think will have the magnifying glass put on them (in no particular order)...
Josh Rachele
Similar to the reasons why other players are on this list, Josh Rachele toes a fine line between arrogance and antagonism.
Despite a career-best 30 goals in 2024, Rachele was axed for the final game of the home and away season as he was not upholding club values and standards.
It became apparent that the Crows forward was putting himself before the team, leaving coach Matthew Nicks with the difficult decision to put him in the SANFL.
Throughout last year, multiple incidents put the former Pick 6 in the limelight and not for the right reasons.
Rachele was seen dodging the contest, pulling out of marking bouts and egging on arch-rivals Port Adelaide, signalling to the teeth, or lack thereof, which furthered his initial comments on the radio before the Showdown.
The last one is admittedly where the game is trending toward, with players' goal celebrations walking the plank of what is accepted in the modern game, and what isn't by those of yesteryear.
Better still, Rachele will enter 2025 with a heap of pressure, both internally and externally, to perform.
And there's only one way to silence the noises in your head and the critics out there.
