The AFL's 2025 trade and free agency period was one of the more star-studded in recent memory, with a Coleman medallist and Norm Smith Medal winner among those to seek a fresh start.
The captain of the bottom-placed side also sought a switch to the premiers, while some of the game's biggest names requested trades while being under contract.
The headline trade plays of the off-season have brought new benchmarks for the clubs that lured quality talent through their doors, lifting the pressure on their premiership prospects and the recruits to perform.
With that in mind, we look at the five recruits under the most pressure heading into the 2026 season...
1Charlie Curnow
There will be no trade recruit under more pressure than Curnow this year.
The saga that surrounded his displeasure at Carlton and desire to move to a club that suited his lifestyle was well documented.
There will be immediate pressure on the two-time Coleman Medal winner to be in career form in his new colours at Sydney, who gave up three first-round picks and Will Hayward.
Curnow isn't the first headline act to make the move to the Harbour City, with the likes of Tony Lockett, Barry Hall and Lance Franklin each doing so on, and that trend has seen each sizeable signature deliver under the bright lights.
After a year that saw the Swans fall out of the final frame, they'll be keen to return to flag contention, with their premiership prospects hinging on the success of their Curnow play.
