Adelaide

Nathan van Berlo

Having missed the 2014 campaign because of a snapped Achilles tendon, van Berlo will be keen to impress. The Adelaide skipper and classy onballer not only has work to do on regaining his own form but must help unite what appeared to be a frustrated dressing room late last season and have his teammates follow the lead set by new coach Phil Walsh. Van Berlo may also be keen to avoid weighted training sleds - that's what ruined his year in a freak training mishap in January.

Brisbane

Lewis Taylor

Was one of the feel-good stories of 2014 when the former farmhand claimed the Rising Star award. He averaged nearly 17 disposals a game and kicked 12 goals. He was also named the Lions' rookie of the year. However, the challenge now is to not only replicate that form but to develop, not an easy thing with rival clubs set to target him more in a bid to prompt a case of the "second-year blues".

Carlton

Matthew Kreuzer

Endured a shocking 2014, managing just one match - the opener against Port Adelaide - before his season was ruined by a broken foot. Returned via the VFL late in the season and has been training while teammates have enjoyed a break. Married last month, Kreuzer faces arguably his most important season to date. He is out of contract next year when he will be a restricted free agent. If he can have a strong year in the ruck, and be a viable option up forward, he can expect a healthy contract offer from the Blues. If not, the former No.1 pick could become a trade chip.

Collingwood

Ben Reid

One of the Magpies' prime movers, the damaging swingman managed just four matches in a 2014 campaign ruined by injury. The trouble began in a practice match in March when he hurt his calf. He returned via the VFL mid-season but then injured a calf at training. He finally stepped out in the seniors in round 18 but played only four games before straining his hamstring in a calamitous clash against the Brisbane Lions when a plethora of injuries brought the Pies' season to a crashing halt. Reid is a key weapon either as a key position forward or defender - and needs a strong summer to regain his confidence.

Essendon

Tom Bellchambers

The defection of Paddy Ryder to Port Adelaide means the ruck focus will firmly fall on Bellchambers, who managed just eight matches last season because of ankle problems. Had a reconstruction in January, which sidelined him for the better part of four months. When he did returned to training and playing, there was residual pain, and he underwent further surgery after the Bombers' elimination final loss to North Melbourne. The Bombers hope he can lift his training rate by mid-December and have an uninterrupted summer.

Fremantle

Michael Johnson

The Dockers missed Johnson's run and creativity from half-back after he was ruled out of the finals because of a lower back injury, which required surgery to repair a damaged disc. The 2013 All-Australian is now reportedly pain free and expects to complete strong pre-season when he returns along with other senior players on December 1. He is out of contract next year and will be an unrestricted free agent.

Geelong

Mitch Clark

The Cats could not find a potent marking target outside of Tom Hawkins last season and hope Clark - having declared he is ready to resume playing football after battling depression - is their man. Clark needs to prove he can not only handle the mental rigours of AFL football but can regain top physical shape, having also endured major foot problems before aborting his stint at Melbourne. He played only 15 games in three seasons with the Demons. The Cats have acknowledged Clark brings inherent risks, but the upside could be he helps the team remain in top-four contention.

Gold Coast Suns

Tom Nicholls

The athletic ruckman played six of the first seven matches before hurting his knee in the 43-point win over North Melbourne. He required surgery to repair his posterior cruciate ligament and did not play again last season. Having shown promise in 2013 when he won a Rising Star nomination, Nicholls, of Fijian heritage, will be keen to make an impression on new coach Rodney Eade.

Greater Western Sydney

Jed Lamb

Crossed from the Swans last season and was expected to be a regular senior player in a team craving guidance and leadership. Instead, the small forward-midfielder managed only eight matches. A former first-round draft pick, Lamb needs to show he is ready to forge a regular spot - otherwise he could become trade bait.

Hawthorn

Ryan Schoenmakers

Having battled back from a knee reconstruction, Schoenmakers missed selection in the Hawks' finals campaign after playing 15 home-and-away games. Heading into the trade period, he told the Hawks he wanted to stay and would fight to reclaim his spot, despite this being an even greater challenge after free agent fullback James Frawley joined the club. It then emerged Schoenmakers could be traded but he ultimately remained a Hawk. Can also play as a marking forward but will need a strong summer to push his way into the starting 22.

Melbourne

Heritier Lumumba

It's never easy settling into a new club and Lumumba joins the Demons with a reputation as someone prepared to speak his mind on a range of issues - but not always at the right moment. His manager Ben Niall has said Lumumba needs to communicate better "how he expressed himself going forward". Aside from assimilating with his new teammates, Lumumba will want to show the strong work ethic he built his game on at Collingwood carries over to the Demons, where coach Paul Roos hopes he can play a key role in transforming the club.

North Melbourne

Aaron Black

The marking forward played 25 matches last season and kicked 26 goals but regularly had Kangaroos' supporters calling for him to be dropped. Managed just one goal in three finals appearances last season, when fellow talls Drew Petrie and Ben Brown stepped up. Will be under increasing pressure following the arrival of free agent forward Jarrad Waite.

Port Adelaide

Jake Neade

Having managed 16 matches in 2013, the speedy half-forward played only eight last season, although he timed his run well with seven coming at the end of the season, including the three finals. Had three goals against Carlton in round 20 and three against Richmond in the elimination final. While goalless a week later, his dash against Fremantle proved crucial in the upset win at Patersons Stadium. Will be keen to add greater strength to his light frame over summer in a bid to become a permanent component of a team already tipped to be the 2015 flag favourite.

Richmond

Ben Griffiths

The Tigers hope he can lock down centre half-forward next season, having enjoyed a solid 2014 when he was named the club's most improved player. He led the club in contested marks last season but, according to coach Damien Hardwick, still needs to show greater consistency. He finished the season with 12 goals but the Tigers want that raised to more than 40 next season. While his fitness "isn't bad", Hardwick said Griffiths needs to have greater belief in himself. A strong pre-season can only help in this regard, ensuring he and Jack Riewoldt become a match-winning one-two punch.

St Kilda

Tom Hickey

The former Gold Coast Sun had an interrupted season in his second year at Seaford. As the Saints' No.1 ruckman after the off-season trade of Ben McEvoy, Hickey played a key role in the club's surprising 3-2 start but he managed only the one more game because of knee tendonitis, where he even sought specialist help in London in August. He is one of the planks the Saints hope to build their future on. He is expected to be running when pre-season begins.

Sydney

Sam Reid

He was hailed as one of the cornerstones of the Swans' future when he was recontracted in 2011 until the end of 2017 but the additions of Lance Franklin and Kurt Tippett have since made it difficult to know where he fits in, particularly on the smaller SCG ground. He had a quiet finals campaign, managing just the eight touches in each of the Swans' three finals and was goalless. Before luring Tom Boyd in the trade period, the Western Bulldogs admitted to strong interest in Reid. Perhaps he could be reborn as a defender in what some are dubbing a make-or-break season for the athletic tall in Sydney.

West Coast Eagles

Sharrod Wellingham

The former Collingwood premiership player has yet to consistently deliver what the Eagles had hoped in his first two years at the club. He played 10 games in 2013, having initially hurt an ankle in a trampoline accident, and last season played 13 matches but was dropped for poor form on at least three occasions. Coach Adam Simpson said in July that Wellingham was going through an important learning phase. The Eagles now hope the 26-year-old has passed his test.

Western Bulldogs

Will Minson

The big ruckman has already declared he can regain his 2013 All-Australian form after a disappointing 2014 campaign when he was dropped ahead of the round-22 loss to Sydney after several weeks of modest form. He returned a week later for what was to be a shock loss to Greater Western Sydney - a time when some senior players were at odds with coach Brendan McCartney - and was put through a brutally honest post-season review. At 29, the Bulldogs need their No.1 ruckman to lead the way.