The best part about entering a new footy season is that it's a fresh slate - every club starts from zero.
Optimism is high as fans relish in the prospect of their club making some form of improvement on last year, whether that's contending for a premiership, returning to September action, or seeing young players blossom into genuine superstars to push a rebuild forward.
However, there are also doubts. Lists have been reshaped, coaches have tweaked their systems, and with those changes comes an uncomfortable question that will refuse to subside until the 2026 season is underway.
So, what is the harsh question pressing at the front of your team's mind? Below is every club's burning question heading into 2026...
Melbourne
Where does Steven King play Kysaiah Pickett?
Kysaiah Pickett became much more than a small forward livewire in 2025, living up to the enormous contract he penned early in the year by expanding his repertoire in the midfield.
Pickett averaged two goals a game and 19.6 disposals, whilst also adding clearance work to his repertoire, resulting in a maiden All-Australian blazer.
On three occasions, he kicked five majors and collected over 20 disposals, presenting an intriguing problem for newly appointed senior coach Steven King to solve.
With the departures of Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, does increased midfield minutes beckon for 'Kozzie' in 2026?
Pickett attended at least 70 per cent of centre bounces 12 times in 2025. In those games, he averaged a Player Rating of 14.3 - that would have ranked 25th in the league had he maintained that across the year.
However, in the eight games where Pickett attended fewer than 70 per cent of centre bounces, he kicked 17 goals and averaged 6.7 score involvements per game.
Where he is truly best suited is a question King will need to answer in order to get the most out of Pickett, who is perhaps the Demons' most important player in the club's newest era.
