The nine players to watch in Round 1

Round 1 of the 2025 season will see all 18 teams take the field for the first time, giving fans their first taste of the season's storylines.

From high-profile trades to debuting stars, the first full round is set to be packed with intrigue. Here are some of the players to keep an eye on.

Caleb Daniel

Coming up against his old team in new colours, the premiership Bulldog will be looking to show his former coach what he's missing.

In 2024, Luke Beveridge opted for a different approach to team selection, leaving Caleb Daniel watching from the sidelines more often than he would have liked. The All-Australian half-back was played out of position when selected, but with North Melbourne he's likely to return to his preferred role, and if his pre-season form is anything to go by, he could be back to his best.

Daniel, a loyal servant of the club whi reached the ultimate glory in 2016, didn't leave the Bulldogs for a lucrative contract or due to bad terms with senior figures. His departure came down to a lack of opportunity and fans understand this.

Expect a reasonably warm reception from players and spectators alike, but it still remains an interesting matchup to watch.

Sam Lalor & fellow draftees

The number one pick in any draft is always one to watch on debut.

There's plenty of hype surrounding the young gun and his pre-season injury only adds another layer to the story. Lalor, along with fellow Richmond draftees Luke Trainor and Harry Armstrong, will be an intriguing watch against Carlton on Thursday night.

This also extends to Finn O'Sullivan, the second overall pick, who will debut for North Melbourne against the Bulldogs on Saturday night.

Nick Watson

Sam Wicks pulled off some magic of his own on Friday night, making 'The Wizard' disappear in Sydney's match against Hawthorn.

Now, all eyes are on Watson to see how he responds after a poor performance. He brought plenty of swagger and energy to the Hawks last season and their prime-time clash against Essendon presents the perfect stage for him to get his magic back.

Bailey Smith

Bailey Smith divides fans with his off-field antics, whether it's his fashion choices or his modelling career with Cotton On, but before the ACL injury that wiped out his 2024 season, there was no denying he was one of the most exciting young players in the game.

Now at Geelong, he has the perfect opportunity to find his form as part of a midfield that will benefit greatly from his inclusion. The question is whether he'll miss a step or take one further towards becoming a true star of the game and pushing Geelong into flag contention.

Eric Hipwood & Logan Morris

With Joe Daniher's premature retirement, Brisbane's forward structure will be under close watch.

Eric Hipwood and Logan Morris will need to step up, and how they gel together could define the Lions' season. Hipwood, as the more experienced player, is likely to get the first crack at filling Daniher's role, but Morris showed plenty of promise in 2024 and could be a key piece of the puzzle.

Clayton Oliver & Christian Petracca

Melbourne were left searching for answers when Christian Petracca suffered a gruesome injury in the King's Birthday clash against Collingwood last year, while Clayton Oliver struggled through a tumultuous off-season, never reaching his best.

It was a rough year for the Demons and their fans, but with Oliver staying at the club and Petracca on track for a remarkable comeback, their season opener against the Giants on Sunday is shaping up as must-watch footy.

Dan Houston

Possibly the biggest off-season move was Houston's switch to Victoria.

Several clubs chased the silky half-back's signature, but in the end, Collingwood secured him. Fast forward to 2025 and fate has handed Houston a debut against his old side thanks to an untimely suspension. He'll have the backing of the home fans but will undoubtedly feel the heat from his ex-teammates.

More importantly, it will be a chance to see if Houston was worth all the fuss and if he can help the Pies recover from a poor start to their campaign against the Giants last week.