A cut-throat league like the AFL demands excellence, and as a result, there's one winner and 17 losers.
But the reality is, not all clubs are expected to be pressing for a premiership, or even finals.
The introduction of the top 10 and the wildcard round has altered the forecasting of many teams.
And for that exact reason, each team's pass mark should vary based on a variety of factors.
Below, we have determined what each club should be striving for and what their fan base should be expecting in 2026...
Richmond
Pass mark: Win 4 games
The Tigers surprised all with five victories in 2025 as they tick off season one of their rebuild.
But any project is set to plateau, and although Adem Yze has other ideas, it wouldn't be a shock to see Richmond dip in the amount of wins.
However, what should be a focus is minimising the damage on losses, or bridging the gap of those clubs who sit higher than them on the ladder.
Richmond's main objective is to develop two draft classes' worth of extreme talent, and get them up to AFL speed.
