AS THE dust settles on the season for clubs out of the premiership race, the review process begins in earnest - and that includes from our AFL.com.au experts, too. 

We look at what worked, what didn't, season highlights, and what your club needs to do ahead of next season.

Check it out.

Where they finished

13th (four wins, seven losses, 62.9 per cent)

What worked

The Eagles were immediately justified in their bold decision to recruit senior coach Daisy Pearce, with the AFLW champion bringing new energy to the club and fostering a culture of connection and enjoyment in the team that brought positive results on-field. The Eagles won four of their first six games, confirming their best AFLW season by week four. 

Young star Ella Roberts continued her rise as one of the brightest talents in the game, performing consistently and producing dominant patches of form, including a perfect opening quarter against Port Adelaide that saw her amass 11 disposals, four contested marks and a goal.

Defender Charlie Thomas joined her in the All-Australian squad after another excellent season, locking down on dangerous forwards while also providing rebound.  

Strategically, the Eagles played with a much more organised team defence, with interceptor Beth Schilling emerging as one of the Eagles' best backs, and a pressure brand that troubled teams in the first half of the season.  

Captain Emma Swanson embraced a move to the backline and created room for the Eagles' young onballers to grow, with Roberts joined by Isabella Lewis and recruit Alison Drennan as the Eagles' main ball-winners and clearance players. 

What didn't work

There were inevitable teething problems as Pearce implemented a new game style, and the team lost its final five games of the season, conceding some heavy opposition scores. 

The 66-point loss to Hawthorn was a low-point and a reality check in some ways that the Eagles are coming from a long way back after winning only five games across their past three seasons. 

Pearce was resolute, however, that the team would not choose short-term damage control at the expense of building a sustainable brand for the long-term.

The Eagles needed reinforcements forward when Roberts played as a midfielder and a dominant goalkicker did not emerge through the campaign.   

Watching ex-Eagle Aisling McCarthy produce an outstanding season for Fremantle would have hurt after she was traded for Roxy Roux, who suffered a broken hand during the pre-season, and pick No.27, which was used well in securing Drennan from Gold Coast.

Season highlight

It's hard to go past the opening round of the season, which brought so much uncertainty in the build-up after some disappointing pre-season performances but ended with jubilation as the Eagles beat Richmond to immediately secure their first win under Pearce. 

The Tigers fought their way back from a 22-point deficit at half time, but West Coast held on to win by one point at Mineral Resources Park after Kellie Gibson kicked a goal with 43 seconds to play. 

The win came without Swanson and off-season recruit Roux, with the Eagles blooding five club debutants and getting big performances out of recruits Drennan (10 tackles and five clearances) and Jess Hosking (two goals) in their first games for the club.  

The Eagles also set a record in week five against Greater Western Sydney when they kicked a club-high AFLW score of 10.4 (64) in a 24-point win on the road.  

Targets in the player movement period/draft

It is clear the Eagles need to either recruit or develop another key forward, but that is easier said than done. 

Their leading goalkicker was Gibson with eight, followed by Amy Franklin (seven) and Roberts (six). 

Key forward Franklin is 21 and has obvious scope to develop next season, but another imposing presence in front of the ball would improve the Eagles significantly.  

There would be reluctance to take Roberts away from the midfield role she dominated in 2024 given the impact she was able to have on games.