Make finals? Avoid the wooden spoon? Win the premiership? At the start of the 2025 season, ESPN's footy writers came up with a pass mark for all 18 teams. So, for those teams whose seasons are over, did they pass or fail?
Note: This will be updated throughout the finals as each club's season comes to a close.
Adelaide
2025 pass mark: Play finals
Result: PASS
There were many people predicting a finals berth for the Crows this season despite their lowly and, frankly, unacceptable bottom four result in 2024, but to finish on top of the ladder and win 18 home-and-away games in the process? Yeah, this was a good year for a side that can now expect to be a finals contender into the future.
That doesn't mean the Adelaide faithful, or footy fans in general, shouldn't be disappointed with how their campaign ended -- a straight sets finals exit after losses to both Collingwood and Hawthorn.
It feels like the Crows could have gotten so much more out of this season, such is the talent of the list and the game plan Matthew Nicks instilled. Riley Thilthorpe and Jordan Dawson both finished as All-Australians, new recruits such as Alex Neal-Bullen, James Peatling, and Isaac Cumming had significant influence all over the ground, the forward line remains as potent as ever, and the backline improved drastically.
A disappointing pass? Let's call it that after the way it ended.
Brisbane
2025 pass mark: Return to the Grand Final
Result: PASS
And not only did they return to the Grand Final, the Lions were dominant against the Cats en route to back-to-back premierships. Our expectations of this side were lofty enough, and they still exceeded them.
More impressive? It's now two consecutive years the Lions have had to take the long path to the Grand Final; they finished fifth in 2024, and this year lost their qualifying final against Geelong. But it didn't matter. Their quality is obvious, they have a great blend of valuable experience and exciting, skilful youth, and it's hard to see them falling away anytime soon.
Carlton
2025 pass mark: Play in a preliminary final
Result: FAIL
We're not sure there's a bigger fail than this one. Yes, that's including West Coast!
The Blues entered season 2025 as one of the early flag favourites and ended it as unquestionably the most embarrassing campaign of the Michael Voss era, going backwards in just about every one of Champion Data's crucial metrics. Carlton won nine games and ultimately missed out on a spot i/n finals by a staggering 24 premiership points ... plus percentage.
But things might be about to get even worse for Carlton. Talented defender Jack Silvagni just informed the club he won't be there next year, star ruck Tom De Koning looks set to join St Kilda on a mammoth eight-year deal, and two-time Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow has been heavily linked with a blockbuster move to the Swans. Concerning times, indeed.
Collingwood
2025 pass mark: Make the most of the ageing list
Result: PASS
It's a bit arbitrary, but this seems like a pass to us. The Magpies consistently rolled out the oldest game day 23 in 2025, and it very nearly worked. A top four finish and a preliminary final berth is nothing to sniff at, and while haters will point to the fact they were clear on top of the ladder in the last few weeks of the season, we know that 2025 was very tight at the top.
The Magpies are, for the most part, very well coached, and have good leaders in place. But what happens to this list in the offseason is fascinating, because a lot of those leaders are now getting on in their getting on ... that is, they're very old.
It's never wise to write off the Pies -- they have an uncanny ability to keep fronting up -- but it seems more likely that a cliff is approaching for the club's older players. One thing's for sure, and it's that Collingwood's 2026 is going to be must-watch.
Essendon
2025 pass mark: Have a winning record post the mid-year bye
Result: FAIL
The Bombers began the year somewhat brightly, winning six of their first 10 games to give fans hope that perhaps they had finally turned the corner and could ... maybe, just maybe ... be competitive throughout the year. Unfortunately, from that point on, the Dons went winless, falling from the top eight to the bottom four.
Those are the facts, but it would be unfair to ignore the near laughably long injury list Essendon was forced to deal with throughout the year.
At times, the Bombers' injury list included more than half the club's entire list! As a result, no club played more players throughout the year than them. Injuries aren't an excuse, they're often a legitimate reason for a club's poor performance.
Fremantle
2025 pass mark: Win a final
Result: FAIL
The Dockers really couldn't have asked for a better first final than facing a Gold Coast side, one that had never featured in September, on their home deck. And while they only lost it by a solitary point, it still has to go down as one of the great missed opportunities in club history, particularly given the winner of this game now gets to face an extremely undermanned Brisbane side.
In that respect, the season is a fail. However, Fremantle did enjoy a year of significant growth under Justin Longmuir, winning 16 games and finishing just two premiership points short of third place on the ladder. We mustn't forget this Dockers team was the fourth-youngest of any side in 2025. This club is building and there should be real reason optimism for the future. But yeah, this loss is going to still all offseason.
Geelong
2025 pass mark: Avoid signs of slowing down
Result: PASS
It wasn't the ideal finish to the season for a side that started as the favourite in a Grand Final, and whilst winning the flag was absolutely the fairest expectation for a team that obliterated the eventual premiers by 38 points in a qualifying final, the Cats, by contending again, proved that age really is just a number.
A very reasonable fixture for a side that made a prelim in 2024? Yeah, but exceptional teams should -- and in this case did -- take advantage of that. An almost fully healthy playing list going into the final match of the year? Yep, and they looked incredibly well-placed to add to the trophy cabinet.
The fact is they didn't, but Chris Scott still has plenty of talent at his disposal and we know they'll be active in the upcoming trade and free agency period.
Slowing down? It's not what the Cats do.
Gold Coast
2025 pass mark: Snap the finals drought
Result: PASS
Not only did the Suns play finals, they won their first ever finals match by overcoming the Dockers, in Perth, in a thrilling and memorable night that footy fans all around the country will remember for a long time. They were incredible scenes that a campaign like theirs deserved.
Damien Hardwick had his team playing an exciting brand of footy and not only did it culminate in September action, Gold Coast really should have finished in the top four, an unexpected loss to the Power in Ken Hinkley's farewell all that got in their way in the end.
What does it tell us? This group is more than on the right track. And with finals experience under the belt of a list still with such a young core, who knows where they could end up.
The difference next year? They've got expectation to deal with.
GWS
2025 pass mark: Contend, and make amends
Result: FAIL
Despite last year's finals capitulations -- during which the the Giants gave up considerable leads the Swans and Lions on the eay to a straight sets exit -- the Giants were widely tipped as a legitimate premiership contender in 2025. They have stars all over the ground, the reigning Coleman Medal winner, and a coach who seems to have the belief of the playing group.
But, GWS fell short again. Hosting an elimination final against the Hawks, the home side fell 42 points in arrears, and despite clawing back to even lead by a point early in the fourth term, it was too much to overcome, as they were ousted by 19 points. Ultimately, it's a disappointing season from the Giants who have now lost their last four finals all from winnable positions. It's a fail.
Hawthorn
2025 pass mark: Prove their rise in 2024 was not a fluke
Result: PASS
When Hawthorn lost its first five games in 2024 it seemed they were destined for another bottom-four finish. But 15 wins later and a semifinal berth -- a three-point loss to Port Adelaide -- showed this group had perhaps completed its rebuild.
This season was going to prove that wrong or right and, despite an eighth-placed finish, the Hawks won one more game this home-and-away season and pulled off two terrific finals wins interstate to feature in a prelim for the first time in 10 years.
And they didn't just scrape in; they belted the Crows to the tune of 34 points and shot out of the gates against the Cats, eventually falling away against the well-rested rivals.
Sam Mitchell's side dealt with injuries, had their backs against the wall many times, but played an exciting brand of footy which kept them inside the top eight for the entire season -- the only team in the competition to do so at the completion of every round.
Melbourne
2025 pass mark: Give their stars a reason to stay
Result: FAIL
Few teams had a more disappointing and dysfunctional campaign than the Demons. The club won just seven games, finished 14th, sacked premiership-winning coach Simon Goodwin, and dealt with ongoing tension among senior players ... Max Gawn, Steven May, we're looking at you. In fact, aside from the first years of Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay, we're not sure there were really any positives of Melbourne's season.
So why would any star player want to stay? Gawn will be 34 years of age the next time he steps onto a footy field. Christian Petracca will be 30 and Clayton Oliver 29. Who knows if they finish their careers in the red and blue? Who knows what the future looks like for this club?
North Melbourne
2025 pass mark: Be in finals contention for most of the season
Result: FAIL
Considering the Kangaroos finished the season in the bottom three, and only two premiership points clear of a Richmond side many expected to go winless in 2025, this one simply has to be a fail.
Have the Roos improved under Alastair Clarkson? Yes ... slowly but surely. This year, they scored more and conceded fewer points per game, though still not enough to trouble any of the league's top sides, outside of their notable draw against the Lions, of course.
But North Melbourne should take great comfort in what the Crows have just been able to achieve. Adelaide finished last season in 15th position, then launched up the ladder to take out the minor premiership the following year. If you get it right, things can happen very quickly.
Port Adelaide
2025 pass mark: Send Ken Hinkley off in style
Result: PASS
Okay, okay, finishing the season with just nine wins and in the bottom six is far from a fairytale send off for long-time coach Ken Hinkley, but hear us out. The club's final game of the season, against Gold Coast at Adelaide Oval, was every bit a fitting finale for Hinkley, with his undermanned, widely written off side upsetting a club looking to lock up a top four spot. The Power won by four points in Hinkley's -- and Travis Boak's -- final game, an emotional end to this chapter of Port history.
Now to the bad. Port really did fall off the cliff this year. Don't forget, this side played in a preliminary final just 12 months ago. Injuries to key personnel, including Todd Marshall, Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, and Jack Lukosius certainly didn't help the cause.
Richmond
2025 pass mark: The kids prove last year's draft haul was a success
Result: PASS
It's probably not yet a pass with flying colours, but we're happy to call it a borderline pass for now.
The Tigers ripped it back to studs in the offseason, offloaded senior talent, and welcomed a host of new faces into the club. This year, Richmond blooded nine debutants, including last year's top selection Sam Lalor. Many of them showed encouraging signs to suggest they have long-term futures at the club, including Luke Trainor, Jonty Faull, and Thomas Sims, while we're yet to get a look at highly-touted mid Josh Smillie and only saw glimpses of Taj Hotton.
Despite the inexperience, the Tigers still managed to win five games -- five more than many predicted earlier in the year -- and avoided the wooden spoon. They also achieved the remarkable feat of not losing a single game this season by a triple figure margin.
St Kilda
2025 pass mark: Somehow, overachieve
Result: FAIL
This is a tough one. The Saints hit the jackpot a few weeks back by getting star defender turned midfielder Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera to re-sign for two years, there's also strong reports they could be set to welcome Blues ruck Tom De Koning in the offseason, but the on field performance didn't exactly scream overachievement.
Ross Lyon's side won nine games for the year. On the surface that doesn't sound too bad, but it was actually the club's equal-worst season in terms of wins since 2018. Not only that but if we put those nine wins under the microscope you'll notice a worrying trend. Five of them were by a single figure margin and only two of them came against top 12 teams.
The other worry for the Saints is that they managed to kick 100 points just once this season, the same amount as league cellar dwellers West Coast and Richmond.
Sydney
2025 pass mark: Another Grand Final appearance
Result: FAIL
Wow, the Swans didn't really come close to hitting their pass mark this season. Dean Cox's squad disappointingly missed finals, becoming the latest team to suffer from the Grand Final curse of losing by 40+ points and failing to make the eight the next year.
Having said that, Sydney did manage to save face in the back half of the year. They ended the season 8-3, playing a far more dynamic and competitive brand of football. The Swans are also the frontrunners to land two-time Coleman Medal winner Charlie Curnow, who appears as if he's played his final game for the Blues.
West Coast
2025 pass mark: Build the type of nest Harley Reid won't want to leave
Result: PASS
Initially, this only looked like it could be a pass if Harley Reid confessed to enjoy losing games of football and coming under severe media scrutiny week after week. But given the star midfielder just put pen to paper on a new contract, we can't view it as a fail.
The Eagles failed to demonstrate any sort of improvement in 2025 and may have actually just had their most disappointing year in club history. One win and 22 losses, a woeful percentage of 60.1%, and the worst season-long contested possession differential ever recorded by Champion Data.
We've said for 24 months things will take time for West Coast to turn things around, but re-signing Reid will go a long way to building confidence and a strong culture at the club as they look to rebound up the ladder.
Western Bulldogs
2025 pass mark: Don't let a tough start ruin the season
Result: TBD