Stephen Shortis

The door closed on North Melbourne’s 2025 season with a gutsy loss in the final round to Adelaide. The Kangaroos lost the encounter by 13 points and left most of their supporters scratching their heads, wondering if there had been any improvement over the 2025 season. There is no doubt there has been some improvement over 2025, but there had to be, but it wasn’t greater than other teams around or just above them on the ladder for progress.

Port Adelaide were the third club to shut up shop for the 2025 men’s AFL season, meaning the three clubs where the coaching position was a matter of discussion – Carlton and Michael Voss (reprieved), Melbourne and Simon Goodwin (sacked) and the Power with Ken Hinkley (planned) – were the first three clubs to finish their years.

Carlton was the first team to fold up their tent for 2025 when they played their last game for the season against Essendon on Thursday, 21st August. Although the Blues won the game by 34 points, it was against the injury-riddled and equally disappointing Bombers and Carlton would have been expecting – after a good start to the season – to be contesting the finals for the third season in a row. After some conjecture, Michael Voss was not sacked, given a reprieve by incoming new CEO Graham Wright.