THE FESTIVE season is upon us and clubs have been furiously writing to Santa about what they'd like most in 2023.
While a premiership cup is high on the agenda for most teams, others would simply love nothing more than a healthy list heading into next season.
Will your club's Christmas wish come true?
The Crows would love to find an explosive midfielder under the tree to service what promises to be one of the most exciting forward lines in the competition. With Rory Laird and Ben Keays anchoring the engine room, the Crows have two of the most consistent performers in the League. However, if Jake Soligo, Luke Pedlar or Harry Schoenberg develop, or perhaps we see some flashes from Izak Rankine or Josh Rachele, Adelaide would suddenly have a perfect mix of ball-winners and ball-users to feed that potent front six. – Michael Whiting
The Lions would love Dayne Zorko to have a little sip of whatever Geelong's veterans were drinking in 2022 to recapture his best form. Zorko will be 34 when the season gets underway, and after two seasons battling an Achilles/plantar problem, is leaner and fitter this pre-season. The best version of Zorko with his explosive pace and harassing pressure could help solve a few of the team's forward-half defensive problems in 2023 and take it closer to an elusive premiership. – Michael Whiting
A first finals appearance since 2013 will be top of the list for the Blues, and it really should've happened in 2022. While Carlton lost the last four games of the season to cost itself a September berth, a horrendous run with injuries also hurt. Only two teams used more than Carlton's 40 players this year and just three (Sam Docherty, Charlie Curnow and Zac Fisher) played all 22 games for the Blues. A friendlier run with injuries should help the Blues' bid to play finals next year, and that will be top of their wishlist after showing so many good signs in 2022. – Dejan Kalinic
The re-signings of Jack Crisp and Brody Mihocek brought some early Christmas cheer, and the latter could have a big role to play if the Pies are to push on from their impressive 2022. Craig McRae will be wishing for a season of 50-plus goals from one of his forwards and Mihocek is tracking nicely after booting 41 this year. Whether it's Mihocek, recruit Dan McStay, Jamie Elliott, Jack Ginnivan or Ash Johnson, a big season from one of the Pies' forwards could help propel the preliminary finalists to another level in 2023. – Dejan Kalinic
A good start to the season. This sounds simple, but for the Bombers it has been a major problem for almost a decade. Since starting 2013 with a 7-3 record, Essendon's best record through 10 games has been five wins and a draw in 2020. That builds early pressure and playing catch-up is tough. The Bombers open 2023 under a new coach in Brad Scott and against Hawthorn, Gold Coast, St Kilda and Greater Western Sydney before a trickier run against Melbourne, Collingwood, Geelong, Port Adelaide, Brisbane and Richmond. Their fixture is ranked the third easiest, but can the Bombers capitalise? – Dejan Kalinic
The Dockers landed a big, and expected, move during the Continental Tyres AFL Trade Period by bringing in Luke Jackson from Melbourne. But questions remain over just how the 21-year-old ruckman will fit in alongside Sean Darcy at Fremantle. Will the 2021 premiership player spend more time forward? Or will a unique role give the Dockers a point of difference? Fremantle will be hoping the duo clicks quickly so it can contend again in 2023, and if it works, Jackson's arrival may be what propels the Dockers to the next level. – Dejan Kalinic
It'd be rude not to ask Santa to deliver another flag in 2023. But to do that, the Cats will need a fit and firing Tom Hawkins to lead the forward line. The three-time premiership star recently underwent surgery on a foot injury he carried through the finals and faces a delayed start to the season. After booting 67 goals in 2022 - including three in the Toyota AFL Grand Final win over Sydney - Cats fans will be wishing for a speedy recovery for the 34-year-old. - Brandon Cohen
A first finals appearance in club history in 2023 – it's that simple. The Suns have steadily climbed in recent years, but the onus will be on them to make a jump into the eight when the calendar ticks over. A fit Ben King would help, as would having dashing Lachie Weller available from the opening round, as his swifter-than-expected recovery from a ruptured ACL has him on schedule to do. A little wave of the wand from the (no) injury fairy wouldn't go astray for Stuart Dew's team. – Michael Whiting
New coach Adam Kingsley has come in with plenty of fresh ideas and a rejuvenated gameplan, but will it be enough to stop the seemingly neverending exodus of players leaving the club? Tim Taranto, Jacob Hopper, Bobby Hill and Tanner Bruhn all departed during the trade period, leaving Kingsley with plenty of holes to fill in his first season in charge of the Giants. Now it's the versatile Harry Himmelberg who looms as one of the club's key priorities in 2023. The Giants would dearly love the 195cm swingman's signature as a Christmas present. - Brandon Cohen
The sky was the limit for a 20-year-old James Worpel after a breakout 2019 season that saw him win the Peter Crimmins Medal as Hawthorn's best and fairest player. Averaging 26.6 disposals and 6.3 clearances from 22 games, Worpel looked destined to become one of the competition's elite midfielders. Unfortunately, a series of form and injury issues has hampered his progress since, with his 2022 season being cut short due to a dislocated shoulder. After undergoing surgery in July, Worpel is nearing full fitness again and looks primed for a big 2023. Wouldn't that be a nice Christmas gift, Hawks fans? - Brandon Cohen
Short of another premiership to back up the 2021 drought-breaker, Melbourne fans will be keen for the new-look array of talls to click instantly. Adding Brodie Grundy to Max Gawn, Ben Brown, Tom McDonald, Bayley Fritsch and the untried Jacob van Rooyen has the potential to take the Dees to a new level. It could also be difficult to bed down. After several years of frustration over a forward line that often misfired, the Melbourne faithful deserve a break from the inside-50 uncertainty. Big Maxy for the Coleman, anyone? - Michael Rogers
The long-suffering Kangas are well overdue for some on-field positivity, and the good news is there's no shortage of potential breakouts. Draftees Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw will have their moments, the newly re-signed Luke Davies-Uniacke should continue to develop and the big 'Souva' in the square, Nick Larkey, has the foundations to go to a new level. But perhaps the biggest Christmas gift Roos fans – and new coach Alastair Clarkson – could hope for is a change of luck for 2020's No.3 pick, the forgotten midfield gun Will Phillips. If he gets up and going, North's midfield suddenly looks far more potent. - Michael Rogers
Where do we start? After a season where not much went right (apart from Connor Rozee), the Power have plenty on the agenda. Top of the list is a pair of healthy big men – Charlie Dixon and Scott Lycett. Having your No.1 ruck and your best key forward is a good starting point for a successful season. Dixon and Lycett managed just 16 games between them in 2022, but 44 en route to the 2021 preliminary final. If those two can get through summer unscathed, Ken Hinkley will be feeling a lot more festive. – Michael Rogers
A fit and firing Dustin Martin features prominently on Tigers fans' collective note to Santa. With Dusty at his best, few would bet against Richmond giving the flag another shake. Perhaps the best news is that Dusty might not have to be at his 2017-2020 peak to have maximum impact. The arrival of Giants duo Jacob Hopper and Tim Taranto will relieve Martin of the need to play big midfield minutes, allowing him to torment opposition defences again. - Michael Rogers
Ross Lyon will be hoping for a solution to his giant Max King problem this festive period. The excitement generated by getting the band back together at RSEA Park disappeared when it was confirmed King needed a shoulder reconstruction earlier this month. The only positive is the timing. The emerging star is expected to only miss the first month of next season at this stage. St Kilda needs to find some options to cover the loss over the pre-season. Will it mean Rowan Marshall plays as a permanent forward before Gather Round? Will Jack Hayes be ready to go by then? Will Zaine Cordy or Dougal Howard be sent forward? Plenty of questions, no answers at this point. Fortunately, Ross and the football department at Moorabbin have time to find a solution. – Josh Gabelich
There's no doubt Sydney has the talent to launch another tilt at a premiership in 2023, but how deep are the scars from its Grand Final meltdown? The quickest way to silence any internal demons is to string some wins together early and the Swans face a potential banana peel in round one against Gold Coast, which has beaten them in four of their past six encounters. Sydney will also face Melbourne, Richmond and Geelong in the opening six weeks of the season - all away from home - and will be desperate to claim a big scalp early to shake off any lingering doubts from their MCG nightmare last September. - Martin Smith
Kids love Christmas, and West Coast's youth should be loving being at the Eagles next year as they rebuild. Reuben Ginbey and Elijah Hewett, both drafted this year, should give the Eagles plenty to get excited about, while the unlucky Campbell Chesser – pick No.14 in the 2021 NAB AFL Draft – should get his chances. There is still plenty of experience on the Eagles' list – they have six players who have played more than 200 games – but it's the kids who must take centre stage in 2023. And they must be given the chance to do so. – Dejan Kalinic
Luke Beveridge has already delivered an early Christmas present by signing on the dotted line. The club was hopeful a deal would be struck before round one, but now that has been sorted and any speculation around his future has disappeared. Beveridge has led the Western Bulldogs to six finals appearances, two Grand Finals and delivered a premiership. But while the speculation around the coach is over, this is a club still under pressure to prove it is a premiership contender after a disappointing 2022. It has solved problems at either end by signing Rory Lobb and Liam Jones. It has two budding young stars at either end in Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Sam Darcy. Can it do what it hasn't done yet under Beveridge? Finish in the top four. If it does that, it will give the competition a real shake in 2023. – Josh Gabelich
