The Gold Coast Suns will view another season outside of the top eight as a failed campaign, with the Queensland club stating there are "no excuses" ahead of Damien Hardwick's second season in charge.
The Suns flagged prior to Hardwick's maiden year as coach that September action was the key to seeing 2024 as a success, only for the club to finish 13th on the ladder with 11 wins for the year.
The bottom 10 finish has seen the Suns' finals-less run extend to 14 seasons since the club's inception, with a primed list ready to enter the finals frame this year.
An aggressive off-season that saw the Suns recruit Dan Rioli, John Noble and Elliott Himmelberg - coupled with the age demographic of their best players and the wave of youngsters pressing their case - sees the Suns in the best position yet to reach finals.
Speaking on the club's expectations for 2025, small forward Nick Holman didn't shy away from stating that the playing group is "ready to put the foot down" and break through for a finals berth, or endure another failed season.
"The end goal has to be finals," Holman said on Monday.
"We've said it and we want to speak it into existence. We've been working hard for a number of years.
"In the second year under 'Dimma'... there's no excuses now. We're ready to put the foot down.
"We're here to play finals. We want to be the first team ever for the Suns to play finals.
"We've done the work and now we've got to make it happen."
As for Holman, the hard-nosed attacker is looking forward to healthy competition for spots in Hardwick's front third as young first-round trio Bailey Humphrey, Jake Rogers and Leonardo Lombard look to cement their spots in the Suns' senior side.
As long as he's healthy, Holman will have his "hat in the ring" come selection for the small forward roles under Hardwick.
For me, personally, it's availability and being ready to be called upon,"
"I'll be putting my hand up and throwing my hat in the ring. We've got a lot of good players at small forward.
"It's exciting to see blokes like Leo, Jake Rogers, Bailey Humphrey (impress).
"I'll keep putting my hand up and training hard, and we'll see what happens."
The Suns' pre-season will ramp up in the coming weeks with practice matches to come against Brisbane/Collingwood and Sydney.
Gold Coast's first game of the home and away season is scheduled for Opening Round, with the Suns welcoming Essendon to People First Stadium on Saturday, March 8.
