Each year AFL coaches are either put under scrutiny or praised for what they have done with the club's list and where their side has finished at the end of the year.
Whether it's a club going through a rebuild, a premiership contender, or a side failing to fulfil expectations, here is every coach ranked as safe, pressure-building, or under the pump heading into the 2027 season.
Sam Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Very safe
Only in early August did Sam Mitchell sign a new three-year contract extension with the Hawks keeping him as head coach until 2030, showing how highly the club rates him.
Mitchell was given the role as Hawks coach in 2022 and has transformed the side from a bottom-eight team to a premiership contender.
Finishing eighth last year, they unbelievably reached a preliminary final before being defeated by Geelong, and they look as though a premiership could be coming in the next few years.
Another finals series for Hawthorn is locked in for 2026, and Mitchell is hoping he can bring another piece of silverware for them, their first since he played in 2015.
