It's an unfortunate guarantee that some AFL clubs are going to struggle significantly more than others in any given season.
The disparity between the top half and bottom half of the league was particularly obvious in 2025, with the ninth-place Bulldogs winning five more games than the 11th-place Carlton Blues.
The gap was even larger the further down the ladder you go, with West Coast becoming the first club since GWS in 2013 to win just one game for an entire season.
But who will be in the mix for the least-desired award in 2026? There's a few familiar clubs you might recognise...
2Richmond Tigers
The Tigers were one of the surprises of the 2025 season, despite winning just five games for the year.
A stunning comeback in Round 1 against the old foe Carlton served as an optimistic launchpad for a year of strong development from their crop of rookies and second-year players, and helped them achieve four further victories, including one over top eight side Gold Coast. They also came within a kick of upsetting GWS and St Kilda.
However, entering 2026, the consensus seems to be Richmond will regress rather than advance a rapid rebuild following an off-season of minimal player movement, outside of their two first-round draft picks.
That's an understandable call to make, given the Tigers' underlying numbers were largely comparable to West Coast. However, the yellow-and-black proved just last year why you shouldn't discredit their legitimacy as a team capable of recording a few upsets, and will likely build on the experience they gained from their close contests last year.
If they can hold their own for a full four quarters, this feverish young side can prove they're ready to belong with the other 16 sides that finished above them in 2025. If they make similar mistakes, a return to the AFL's lowest rung for a second time in three years is a genuine possibility.
