Season 2026 could be a year of reckoning for seven AFL coaches.
Whether it be pushing for premiership success, finals contention or improving on the year before, it could be argued that a critical juncture has been reached.
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge is perpetually in the coaches under pressure column, while time is running out for Alastair Clarkson at North Melbourne.
Fremantle enjoyed a return to finals, but with their list, expectations will deem them ready for a maiden flag.
But leading one of the Victorian powerhouse clubs comes with its own stress, and nowhere to hide.
Here are SEVEN coaches that will feel the heat leading into the 2026 season (in no particular order)...
5Ross Lyon (St Kilda)
Contracted until the end of 2027
You would've forgiven the Saints if they didn't make the finals in 2026, had they not gone hard at the trade and free agency space. But they did.
An influx of four established players on decent money indicates the club is ready to bounce back in September with a splash.
'Ross the Boss' has managed to curtail any negative media narratives away as St Kilda has undergone a major list overhaul whilst attacking the draft.
The expectations for Lyon and his men have been set at an all-time high, and the time for action has arrived.
