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.
St Kilda
It's pretty simple for the Saints, they have spent a decade doing very little, either wallowing at the bottom of the ladder or floating in the middle, falling short of finals due to their Jekyll and Hyde nature. They can't afford irrelevance any longer.
With new-old coach Ross Lyon in the box seat again, they will be desperate to recapture the sort of form that saw them make back-to-back grand finals more than a decade ago. Standards need to improve, as well as leadership and most importantly, consistency.
The only way this season can be considered a pass will be a finals appearance, for which they have recruited heavily via trade and free agency. They may have changed their focus to youth in recent off-seasons, but there is no denying this team needs to play finals again soon.
Along with that, the club needs to see A-grade potential from some of their recent draftees, given their list has a genuine lack of elite talent that doesn't stack up against the best. Time will tell if 'Ross the Boss' can work some magic.
Pass Mark: 11-14 wins and a finals berth.
