The rule changes and AFL adjustments keep coming with the introduction of wildcard round and an extension of the finals series the biggest for many years. But even with 10 clubs playing beyond the home-and-away season for the first time, there will always be teams heading in the wrong direction or simply well off the pace.
In the first of a three-part series on 2026 predictions, here’s how we see the bottom part of the ladder playing out.
