With AFL clubs having returned for pre-season training, the countdown for the 2026 season is on.
Coaches begin experimenting with new game plans and younger players begin pushing for spots. Every session counts as players push for Round 1 selection.
But not all players feel the same levels of pressure, with some under far more scrutiny than others. Whether it was a failed trade move, underperformance or stalled development, these are the 10 AFL players with a point to prove in 2026.
3Dan Houston
In one of the biggest trade coups of the 2024 trade period, Collingwood landed star Port Adelaide half-back Dan Houston. But it wasn't quite the 2025 season Houston hoped for after earning back-to-back All-Australian blazers in 2023 and 2024.
Almost all of Houston's key statistical categories were down in 2025 after making the move to Collingwood. A damaging line-breaker at his best, he averaged just 16.9 disposals per game, which was his worst return since the 2018 season. He also recorded only 294 metres gained per match, compared to 488 metres the season prior.
Craig McRae played with Houston's magnet at times, trialling him on the wing in an attempt to get him back to his best. But his best footy comes at half-back where he can hurt teams with his speed and precise foot skills. After bowing out in a home preliminary final against Brisbane, Collingwood will be looking to go one better and be there on the last day in September. If they are to get there, they need Houston at his damaging best.
