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...
5Clayton Oliver
Unlike his premiership teammate Petracca, Oliver wasn't actively seeking a fresh start and was instead told to explore his options.
A move to the Giants under Adam Kingsley and away from the spotlight should do him some good after a difficult last couple of seasons as a Demon.
But when the whips start cracking as September nears, pressure on Oliver to help steer GWS to, and then through, finals will see the pressure gauge lifted.
The Giants have long been touted as a heavyweight contender, but have struggled to deliver when it mattered most, and Oliver could be the catalyst they've required, having gone the distance himself in 2021.
