It’s usually a domain for fresh faces but this year’s AFL preseason competition holds extra significance – and questions – for a bunch of older hands.
* ADELAIDE: Bryce Gibbs. His 231 games at Carlton included just five finals. Now, the silky-smooth onballer steps out for a premiership contender. Will Gibbs find immediate synergy with his great mate and Crows ruck Sam Jacobs?
* BRISBANE: With Luke Hodge likely to be in pre-season cotton-wool, ex-Crow Charlie Cameron will be expected to make an instant impact. Can the 23-year-old, who went to Brisbane to be closer to family, morph from an attacking cameo to a leading midfield role?
* CARLTON: Matthew Lobbe was tossed on the scrapheap at Port Adelaide when Paddy Ryder arrived – he didn’t play an AFL game last year. An old- fashioned ruck workhorse, can he find form and lighten the load on Blues top gun Matthew Kreuzer?
* COLLINGWOOD: Mason Cox. The American has played 20 games in two seasons, and earnt a three-year contract extension with the Magpies. Is this the year he transforms his undoubted potential and athleticism into game-breaking performances?
* ESSENDON: Jake Stringer. Few footballers will be under the microscope this year like the ex-Bulldog and 2015 All Australian. At his best, a breathtaking match-winner; at his worst, a disinterested wanderer. Which Stringer will turn up?
* FREMANTLE: Brandon Matera. The goal-savvy forward left Gold Coast after 101 games and 124 goals to return to his native Perth, where Matera is a footy household name. Can the goalsneak – the son of West Coast foundation player Wally and nephew of Eagles legends Peter and Phil – live up to the name?
* GEELONG: Gary Ablett. Two Brownlow medals. Six club champion awards. Eight All Australians. A man with that resume surely has nothing to prove – but not in Ablett’s intriguing case. Will his second coming at Geelong confirm him as a true legend or offer evidence he’s a fading force?
* GOLD COAST: Lachie Weller. After three promising seasons at Fremantle, has returned to his former residence where he was a member of Gold Coast’s academy. Can he instantly repay the faith of the Suns, widely considered to pay way overs – draft pick No.2 – in a trade to secure him?
* GREATER WESTERN SYDNEY: Lachlan Keeffe. Tossed a lifeline by the Giants after being delisted by Collingwood after a chequered stint – 40 games since his 2011 debut, including a two-year ban for taking a banned substance. Will he grab the chance and add big-man depth to a flag fancy or be a failed punt?
* HAWTHORN: Jarman Impey. Joins the Hawks in a trade from Port Adelaide, where he showed blitzing speed and sublime skills – sometimes. Can the 75-gamer hit his straps on a consistent basis and become the genuine match-turner he could be?
* MELBOURNE. Jake Lever. Almost forgotten in his acrimonious exit from Adelaide is the fact he is an absolute gun. Turns 21 next month but reads the play like a veteran. But can he handle the scrutiny that comes with his massive pay packet?
* NORTH MELBOURNE: Billy Hartung. On the outer at Hawthorn before being delisted, he cost the Kangaroos just draft pick No.77. Can he complement his pace and ball-winning with improved skills to prove that selection is a genuine bargain buy?
* PORT ADELAIDE: Jack Watts. The former whipping boy at Melbourne has been gifted fresh air at Port. Boasts top-notch skills and 153 games’ experience but renowned for inconsistency. Can he leave his baggage from his stint at Melbourne behind?
* RICHMOND: Reece Conca. Surely it’s make or break time for the talented yet sporadic 86-gamer, who falls off-contract at season’s end. Will he finally live up to his hype as a No.6 draft pick, and can he get through a season without injury?
* ST KILDA: Logan Austin. Was released by Port Adelaide despite showing immense promise as a key defender – he fell behind the Power’s defensive pecking order. Has the physical make-up to stand up to the big gorillas but does he have the mental toughness to thrive in the AFL jungle?
* SYDNEY: Aliir Aliir. After a super 2016 debut season, the Kenyan-born muscle man appeared set to become a defensive mainstay. But he played only three AFL games last year. Will he able to rediscover his best form and hold down a key post for the Swans?
* WEST COAST: Nic Naitanui. Was an All Australian six seasons ago when stamped as the next big thing in the AFL world. Injury robbed him of the entire 2017 season, and the competition lost one of its most-spectacular players. But will his knee reconstruction limit his renowned high-leaping exploits?
* WESTERN BULLDOGS. Josh Schache. After two seasons at Brisbane, the 199cm-tall key forward returns to Victoria after citing home sickness. A No.2 draft pick with raw talent, can he instantly gel in attacking partnership with No.1 pick Tom Boyd?