As the 2025 AFL season rapidly approaches, discussions often centre around perennial powerhouses and how they will fair in the upcoming year.
There are always teams left out of the conversation for September, however some commentators do so at their own peril. While many teams aren't given the respect they deserve by the media, several teams are poised to surpass expectations and make significant strides in season 2025.
Of course, Hawthorn, Collingwood, and Carlton often feature heavily in the conversation, as the powerhouses that they are in the Victorian-centric media, but the surprise addition to this year's flag favourites are up-and-comers Fremantle. However, none of these teams have actually proved themselves to be serious 2025 contenders.
We need to put the spotlight on three heavily underrated teams who are all too often forgotten in the media, while also addressing the potentially overrated status of three clubs.
4. Overrated: Fremantle
The biggest overhyped team of 2025 in my opinion.
Despite pre-season optimism - with some even labelling them as flag favourites - in recent years, the Dockers have struggled to meet expectations, with inconsistent performances raising questions about their contender status. Their forward line continues to be their Achilles heel, largely because of their defensive focus; a strategy that worked for the Swans in the mid-2000s but has yet to replicate its success in the two decades that have followed.
If you look at the premiers in the years since, they all played a modern, fast, attacking brand; Hawthorn, Richmond, Collingwood, Brisbane, Geelong and Melbourne.
The Dockers game style just doesn't live up to the other teams vying for the top. Therefore, I don't think they have the structure or talent to be able to make that leap to serious premiership contender.
