With players returning from their end-of-season break and getting back into the swing of things for pre-season, the 2027 season slowly keeps getting closer.
Established players will want to dominate training sessions while emerging young stars will want to push their case forward for a round one start.
Each player has something to work on with the season nearing, a lot more than others, and these are the AFL players from each club with the most to prove heading into 2027.
Brisbane
Ty Gallop
It's hard to pick any player from a team that has just won three premierships on the trot, but Gallop seems to be someone that can take his game to the next level after a position move.
Having played forward in his first season, kicking three goals in the MCG preliminary final win over Collingwood, he was forced to find a new home in defence.
In April this year, Jack Payne was in the midst of a long recovery from a knee injury, Darcy Gardiner was also missing with a shoulder injury, and Harris Andrews was sidelined for three games through suspension, forcing coach Chris Fagan to get creative.
So, despite being a premiership forward in just his sixth career game last year, Gallop was shuffled to the backline to cover the defensive gaps.
He was outstanding until an off-the-ball incident with Port Adelaide's Mitch Georgiades in Round 20 saw him get a three-match suspension.
He returned in the last home-and-away game against Collingwood, but when all the talls were available for the start of the finals, he ultimately missed selection.
After Brisbane's heavy loss in their first final against Sydney, he was recalled and has quickly got back to his best.
He finished the year averaging five spoils per game, 2.2 tackles and 1.5 intercept marks, creating a great platform to continue being a key defender for the Lions.
