Four experienced coaches moved on from their senior AFL coaching roles this season, and with four more out of contract in 2027, who will survive and extend, and who could face the swift chop of the axe?
Adelaide's Matthew Nicks, Western Bulldogs' Luke Beveridge, St Kilda's Ross Lyon and West Coast's Andrew McQualter are all contracted until the end of the 2027 season.
The four coaches head into next year with different temperatures on their seats. Nicks' is red-hot, while Beveridge, McQualter and Lyon's will warm fast if results don't go their way.
Alastair Clarkson (North Melbourne), Michael Voss (Carlton), Brad Scott (Essendon) and Chris Fagan (Brisbane) all left their senior coach roles in 2026. Albeit for different reasons, with Fagan's three-peat departure straight out of a Hollywood movie.
The 2027 AFL fixture has now been released, so what does each coach have to do across the first few rounds to earn a new contract, simply survive or face a firing squad?
Matthew Nicks (Adelaide)
Adelaide coach Nicks' seat is the hottest in the AFL in 2027. And the club has not had a massive recruiting spree to support him either, instead banking on internal development from the likes of Sid Draper and Dan Curtin.
After a minor premiership, but a straight-sets exit in 2025, followed by a fifth-place finish and a Semi-Final thumping at the hands of Brisbane in 2026, Nicks needs to maintain the same result or greater to keep his job beyond next year.
Next season will be Nicks' eighth in charge of Adelaide, with one finals win to his name. He needs to show growth within the squad next year to prove he is the man to take this club to the heights of Preliminary and Grand Finals.
The Crows' first 10 fixtures next season are GWS (home), Fremantle (away), Western Bulldogs (home), Brisbane (Gather Round), Gold Coast (home), Sydney (away), Melbourne (away), Port Adelaide (away), Geelong (home), Essendon (away).
It's a tough run to start a pressure-filled campaign with games against five of the top premiership contenders as well as three who will be fighting for finals.
Nicks could easily find himself in a position where he is 4-6 after 10 games, or even worse, in which mid-season calls could come hard for his job.
Earn a contract extension: a) A Semi-Final victory
Survive and a chance to get another contract: An early finals exit
Worst-case scenario and job gone: a) Miss the top 10 b) a 2-7 start with a Showdown loss
