AS OFF-SEASON recruits settle into their new clubs over the summer, a handful of incumbents will almost feel like new players ahead of the 2025 season.
Serious injuries cost a host of gun players large chunks of the 2024 campaign, meaning they're easy to forget in the wash-up of the season.
Some weren't able to feature at all at AFL level this year and will feel as good as new for coaches as they plan ahead to 2025.
Check out the player at your club set to have a big impact next year after a frustrating 2024.
Riley Thilthorpe (seven games in 2024)
The big forward was tipped for a breakout 2024 before a significant knee injury suffered late in pre-season set his season back. Thilthorpe finally made it back to Adelaide's AFL side in round 18 and made an immediate impact, kicking multiple goals in six of his seven games to finish with 15 majors. With Taylor Walker coming to what is likely the final season of his career, the Crows desperately need Thilthorpe to realise some of his immense potential as the main focus up forward. If his 2024 cameo is anything to go by, the 22-year-old is set to deliver in a big way. - Michael Rogers
Keidean Coleman (one game in 2024)
Coleman looked to be entering his prime after a breakout year in 2023, where he was named equal winner of the Lions' best finals player and was runner-up in Norm Smith Medal voting on Grand Final day. But as (bad) luck would have it, the 24-year-old played just half a game in 2024 before he was struck down with an ACL tear in the Lions' Opening Round loss to Carlton. It was a devastating blow for the side, with the silky smooth half-back one of the best ball-users in Brisbane's backline. And while the Lions clearly filled the 'Kiddy' void in 2024 as they surged to a memorable premiership, Coleman will be a walk-up start in Chris Fagan's side in 2025 once he's ready to return. - Alison O'Connor
Jack Silvagni (zero games in 2024)
After rupturing his ACL last January, Silvagni will feel like a new player for Michael Voss in 2025. With defender Nick Haynes arriving in the off-season, the versatile Silvagni will most likely be used up forward to support Charlie Curnow and Harry McKay as the Blues look to re-capture their form from the second half of 2023. An unrestricted free agent at the end of the year, it will be fascinating to see how the Blues use Silvagni in 2025, and how he responds to a horror season this year. - Martin Smith
Dan McStay (five games in 2024)
The fact the Magpies forward managed to even play five games in 2024 is a miracle in itself. After rupturing his ACL in December last year, the 29-year-old was expected to miss the entire season but made a successful return to the field in round 20 after barely eight months on the sidelines. His output was admirable too, booting eight goals over the run home as the Pies fell agonisingly short of a finals berth. A fully fit McStay could well be the difference as the 2023 premiers seek a return to September next year. - Brandon Cohen
Zach Reid (one game in 2024)
Can this finally be Reid's year? The former pick No.10 has had a nightmare run of injuries in his time at the Bombers and was subbed out of his only game of 2024 – against Hawthorn in round one – due to a hamstring injury. The 22-year-old has been hampered by hamstring and back issues since joining the club in 2020 and has managed just nine games in four seasons. At 202cm, the key defender would be a welcome inclusion in defence alongside Ben McKay – if he can get back to full fitness in the final year of his current contract. - Martin Smith
Nathan O'Driscoll (two games in 2024)
The young winger broke onto the AFL scene in 2022, playing 12 promising games, including Freo's two finals, and kicking 10 goals but he's found it tougher since. Injury and form issues have restricted him to just 12 games in the past two seasons. Surgery on a blood clot on his knee hampered his start to 2024 and he never really got going, managing just two senior games. O'Driscoll found some late-season WAFL form with Peel Thunder and at his best, the 22-year-old's burst of speed and long-range goalkicking will add another weapon to the powerful Dockers midfield. - Michael Rogers
Cam Guthrie (four games in 2024)
'Frustrating' would be an understatement when it comes to describing important Geelong midfielder Guthrie's last two seasons, managing just 10 games since the Cats' 2022 flag. Guthrie, a two-time club best and fairest winner and All-Australian, was sidelined from round six onwards in 2023 due to a complex foot injury, then suffered a serious quad injury just six seconds into a practice match against Carlton ahead of the 2024 season, sidelining him for a further two months. He returned in round seven but played just four games before suffering an Achilles injury and finished his season at VFL level. At his best, Guthrie is a bona fide star of the competition and the Cats will be hoping he can bring his experience and class to the fore as they look to avenge this year's preliminary final heartbreak in 2025. - Alison O'Connor
Ethan Read (four games in 2024)
Academy product Read arrived at the Suns ahead of the 2024 season as a highly touted ruck/forward, but managed just four games following his debut in Gather Round. The athletically gifted tall was taken at pick No.9 in the 2023 draft where the Suns snared a bounty of Academy talent, but unlike some of his fellow graduates, Read's first season at the top level didn't quite work out the way he'd have liked. Dropped after round eight, Read was sent back to the VFL but injury setbacks – a fractured leg followed by a concussion – meant he wasn't able to crack back into the senior side. With another pre-season under his belt, Read will be primed to have a big impact for Gold Coast in 2025 as it strives for that elusive finals appearance. - Alison O'Connor
Conor Stone (four games in 2024)
Having turned down interest from Essendon to re-sign at the Giants until the end of 2026, Stone could find a home in defence after the departures of Harry Perryman and Isaac Cumming. A first-round pick in 2020, the versatile Stone started 2024 as a forward in the VFL before being swung back, where he impressed as a ball-winning intercept defender. The 22-year-old played just four senior games in 2024 – wearing the sub vest in all four – and has been restricted to just 13 games in four seasons due to injury. But 2025 could be his year. - Martin Smith
Changkuoth Jiath (11 games in 2024)
The dashing Hawk has endured a frustrating run of injuries since a breakout campaign in 2021, including a range of soft-tissue problems that limited him to just eight games last year. Hopes were high that the 25-year-old had put those issues behind him after an intensive training block at world-renowned sports medicine centre Aspetar in Qatar in January. But just as it seemed Jiath had turned a corner, it all came crashing down after he suffered a hamstring injury in an intraclub match in February, followed by a quad strain that saw him miss the first nine rounds of the 2024 season. Jiath played 11 straight games through the middle of the year – earning a three-year contract extension in the process – but was sidelined again for the final three home and away matches due to calf tightness. His speed and athleticism will be crucial as the Hawks look to build on a surprise run to the semi-finals. - Brandon Cohen
Charlie Spargo (one game in 2024)
Spargo didn't make another appearance after playing in the Demons' Opening Round clash with Sydney this year, suffering an Achilles injury that ultimately drew curtains on his season. The premiership forward eventually underwent surgery in July after multiple non-surgical options failed to fix the problem, but if he can rebuild his fitness over summer, Spargo will form a critical part of the Demons' attack in 2025. The hard-running small forward often flies under the radar in outside circles, but internally the 98-gamer's forward-half pressure and creativity is highly regarded. With the departure of Alex Neal-Bullen over the off-season, Spargo's availability will be even more crucial for the Demons. - Alison O'Connor
Griffin Logue (two games in 2024)
Alastair Clarkson will have his fingers and toes crossed that Logue can play a significant role for the Roos in 2025. While the signs are promising that North has finally turned a corner, its defence remains an area of concern – evidenced by the fact it was the worst team in the League this year for points conceded. Logue spent most of the season recovering from a knee reconstruction – which was hampered even further by a hamstring issue – before returning to the field in round 20. He hurt his wrist a week later against Geelong and didn't play again after undergoing surgery. The 26-year-old is now back in training with the main group, finishing fourth in 2km time trial on the first official day of pre-season last week. - Brandon Cohen
Sam Powell-Pepper (three games in 2024)
A four-game pre-season suspension derailed the Port Adelaide leader's season before it really got going, and then an ACL rupture against St Kilda in round seven ended his 2024 campaign. Powell-Pepper's bullocking style will be welcomed back into the Power's mix, complementing Willie Rioli and pressure forward Jed McEntee at the feet of key targets Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall. Now coming into his ninth year in the AFL and turning 27 in January, Powell-Pepper should be ready to go and add extra grunt to Port's already formidable forward half. - Michael Rogers
Josh Gibcus (two games in 2024)
The Tigers had six first-round picks in last month's Telstra AFL Draft but there's another top-10 selection who coach Adem Yze will be even more desperate to get on the park. After an impressive debut season in 2022 in which he played 18 games and was named the club's best first-year player, Gibcus was sidelined all of last year due to persistent hamstring issues, leading him to travel to sports medicine centre Aspetar in Qatar for specialist treatment. The 2021 No.9 pick returned for the first two games of this year before a cruel ACL injury in the round one loss to Carlton prematurely ended his season. The defender is now back in training at Punt Road but the Tigers will be cautious in his comeback. - Brandon Cohen
Hunter Clark (11 games in 2024)
Look up 'luckless' in the AFL dictionary and you’ll likely find a picture of Hunter Clark. Several facial and jaw fractures have dogged Clark’s past few years, before a high-grade knee sprain saw him miss the first half of last season. At his best, Clark is evasive and has an ability find space and time, but the stop-start nature of his career means he’s never had a proper run at it. An injury-free off-season will have the 25-year-old primed for a solid season, with a move into the midfield likely for the smooth mover. – Sophie Welsh
Callum Mills (seven games in 2024)
A serious shoulder injury that ruined both his pre-season and the first half of the year, a nagging calf problem and then a hamstring issue in September, Mills' 2024 could hardly have gone any worse. The Swans were outstanding for most of the year and should, in theory, become even better with their skipper fully fit and back on the park in 2025. Mills showed only glimpses of his best in the seven games he did play this year, which was understandable given his lack of match practice, so he'll be looking to have a massive pre-season. - Martin Smith
Elijah Hewett (zero games in 2024)
The Eagles have already added Liam Baker and Jack Graham to their midfield mix this off-season, and Harley Reid has played an entire season since Hewett last pulled on a West Coast jumper. The 20-year-old showed glimpses of what he could become during his 14-game debut season but prolonged foot issues wiped out his 2024 campaign. The signs are good ahead of 2025, though, with Hewett on track for a strong pre-season and already impressing new coach Andrew McQualter. - Michael Rogers
Nick Coffield (eight games in 2024)
Injuries have blighted the former No.8 draft pick's career since he blossomed in the 2020-21 campaigns. He did not play a single senior game across 2022 and 2023, having ruptured an ACL before the '22 campaign and then suffering from recurring calf problems. A dislocated shoulder suffered in round two this year wiped out more than half of Coffield's first season at the Western Bulldogs, but he has the age and experience to make a big contribution to Luke Beveridge's side, which will be without traded stars Jack Macrae, Caleb Daniel and Bailey Smith in 2025. With just 60 games to his name in seven seasons, Coffield will be desperate to finally have an injury-free run at establishing himself as a senior regular. - Michael Rogers
