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...
3Tom De Koning
A big money move, coupled with St Kilda's newfound expectation to contend off the back of a busy off-season, will leave plenty of pressure on the ex-Carlton big man's shoulders.
De Koning can't be blamed for seeking a change of scenery and the mouth-watering money that's been tied to his Moorabbin move, but his maiden campaign in red, white and black will have everyone watching.
He'll want to make that No.1 ruck role his, with Rowan Marshall also having a point to prove in 2026 after seeing his role shifted and request to leave the club denied.
There won't just be pressure to perform either, with Saints fans not wanting to see another top-paid player spend significant time on the sidelines, as they have in years gone by.
De Koning, who has already been nursing a calf injury this pre-season, played more than 19 games in a single year for the first time in 2025, with his trio of previous campaigns each impacted by injury.
