We’re close to the start of the 2026 AFL season, so it’s time to take stock of which coaches are feeling the most pressure.

Carlton’s Michael Voss should consider himself under the pump, as should Adelaide’s Matthew Nicks after a straight-sets finals exit last year, and Alastair Clarkson, who is now into his fourth year at North Melbourne. At the other end of the ledger, Brisbane’s Chris Fagan can put the stress pills away after securing his side back-to-back flags.

Editor’s Picks

Taking into consideration last year’s results, this year’s expectation, time in the job, and what needs to happen this season, we’ve looked at all 18 coaches to see who should feel comfortable, who should be on notice, and who needs to be wary of the blowtorch.

Note: We’ve ordered this so that the safest coaches are at the top of the rankings, and the most under pressure coaches are at the bottom.

Which AFL coaches are under the most pressure heading into the 2026 season. ESPN/Getty ImagesNot a care in the world

18. Chris Fagan

What’s safer than a premiership-winning coach? A two-time, back-to-back premiership-winning coach. The Lions are widely tipped to make it three in a row, starting the 2026 season as clear flag favourites after crushing the Cats in last year’s Grand Final. Fagan is clearly under the least amount of pressure of any coach in the league. Stacked with talent across just about every line, the Lions only got stronger in the offseason, securing the services of Oscar Allen (and Sam Draper), as well as highly-touted Academy prospect Dan Annable at the draft. Fagan’s laughing.

Lachie Neale and Chris Fagan embrace after Brisbane’s 2025 premiership triumph. Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

17. Chris Scott

Last year we said “as long as Scott wants to be at the Cattery, he’ll likely be there” and that still rings true in 2026, after he signed an extension to see him through until the end of 2029. The Cats fell short in the Grand Final against the Lions, but showed they’re not going to bottom out, with Max Holmes and Bailey Smith finishing first and second in the best and fairest, and the likes of Gryan Miers, Ollie Dempsey, and Zach Guthrie all finishing in the top 10. Jeremy Cameron is still a prolific goal kicker, and Patrick Dangerfield and Tom Stewart are still stars of the competition. They’ll reload for another crack this year.

Should feel comfortable

16. Damien Hardwick

Well, the Suns certainly shook things up in September last year, with Hardwick’s side not only making finals for the first time in the club’s history, but winning a final on the road as well. A semifinal loss to the eventual premier in the Lions is no disgrace in hindsight, either, after Brisbane also accounted for Collingwood and Geelong with relative ease. ‘Dimma’ has alleviated the pressure, for now, but improvement is the key for a side that has promised success for so long. A poor start to the year could raise eyebrows, but with two more top-five draft picks, plus Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan in the fold, it’s hard to see them going backwards.

The Suns had a great year in 2025, but need to keep improving. ESPNPhoto by Chris Hyde/Getty Images

15. Josh Carr

After taking over from Ken Hinkley in some weird apprenticeship/succession handover, Carr is the more comfortable of the two new coaches (the other being Steven King at Melbourne). Why? Well, the Power’s list is clearly better than the Demons’, but with that reality comes heightened expectations. Is Port a finals-capable team in 2026? Probably not, but the star power is there; Zak Butters, Jason Horne-Francis, Mitch Georgiades, and Connor Rozee are all A-graders on their day, while there’s no shortage of talent at key posts around the ground. The Power didn’t move on from Hinkley to not give Carr time.

14. Sam Mitchell

Mitchell a bit low? Maybe, but the expectations are sky high on this team, one that has been building for the last four years under their former skipper. His biggest issue? The club didn’t address its needs in the offseason and suddenly finds itself in a manpower crisis, particularly in the midfield. The blame can’t be levelled squarely at Mitchell, though he no doubt has input into trades and free agency strategies. Overpay for crucial pieces in a flag window — how many times does it need to be said?! Now, with Will Day sidelined for months, and James Worpel at the Cats, Hawthorn’s already-slim centre line looks gaunt. What has Mitchell got in his bag of tricks?

Is Sam Mitchell a top three coach in the AFL? Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

13. Adem Yze

Yze was a difficult coach to judge going into 2025, and that doesn’t change going into 2026. Richmond overperformed last year, winning five games in a season some said could be winless. It earned him a well-deserved contract extension beyond his initial two years; he’s now signed until the end of the 2028 season. But what’s in store this year? Probably more regression; this list is only going to get younger and less experienced as more fresh draftees are unleashed, so it’s likely the Tigers go backwards. He’ll be given time, and thus, should feel comfortable.

Can Adem Yze build on an encouraging 2025? Daniel Pockett/Getty Images

12. Adam Kingsley

Another coach signed until the end of the 2028 season, Kingsley is under slightly more pressure than the coaches above him just because of how the last two seasons ended for the Giants. They’ve played three finals for no wins in that time, most recently losing to the Hawks (at home) in their elimination final last year. There’s plenty of talent on this list outside of Tom Green who will miss the year with a ruptured ACL; a Coleman Medal winner (Jesse Hogan), arguably the best full back in the league (Sam Taylor, though also injured for now), and other stars like Toby Greene and Finn Callaghan. Kingsley needs to get more out of this squad, otherwise he’ll start feeling the heat.

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Worth keeping an eye on

11. Craig McRae

Hands up, who has the Pies matching their feat of making a preliminary final in 2026? Remember, this is a team which fielded the oldest VFL/AFL team — ever — in that match. There’s an impending cliff coming for the Pies, but when it hits remains a little bit of a mystery. Add to that the fact their leading goal kicker (Brody Mihocek) left for the Demons, and the cupboard is looking a little bare. Where is the improvement coming from? Which kids are going to stand up? Who is going to kick the goals? There are many questions, and at this stage, not many answers. If McRae can answer them, the pressure will evaporate, but if his side struggles, his contract extension until the end of 2028 may be questioned.

10. Andrew McQualter

What’s a pass mark for the Eagles this year? It’s kind of hard to say, and you’d expect anything other than a truly catastrophic season would ensure McQualter is still at the helm heading into 2027. There’s a bit to be excited about for Eagles fans this year, with a raft of exciting draftees such as Willem Duursma (No. 1), Cooper Duff-Tytler (4), and Josh Lindsay (19) coming into the club. Brandon Starcevich brings premiership experience and a cool head, and another year into Harley Reid, Reuben Ginbey, Bo Allan, and the like is certainly something to look forward to.

Eagles coach Andrew McQualter pictured during his side’s loss to Collingwood in Round 16. Photo by Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

9. Steven King

This may seem unfair on first glance, and I can respect that train of thought. However, often coaches who jump into a new club, as a first-time coach, before the club is at its lowest point in a rebuild, could be easy cannon fodder down the road. Think Brendan Bolton or David Teague. Think David Noble. Maybe Ben Rutten, and a slew of St Kilda coaches over the past decade. Losing Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver in the offseason has harmed King’s immediate outlooks, while the injury to Jack Viney just adds to the lack of mature leadership at the club. It’s going to be a fascinating year for the Demons.

8. Dean Cox

Last year, we said “Sydney doesn’t do short-term coaching appointments” and that’s true, Cox’s job is likely safe in the short and medium term, but this is a club which, since 2002, has finished outside the top eight just four times, including last year in Cox’s first year at the helm. He has a couple of new toys, too, the biggest being Charlie Curnow, a two-time Coleman Medal winner. The Swans have lacked a star key forward since Lance Franklin retired, but with the Curnow addition comes pressure to perform, and leap back into finals.

The Swans missed finals in Dean Cox’s first season. Photo by Matt King/AFL Photos/via Getty ImagesUnder the pump, for various reasons

7. Brad Scott

Not many people are expecting the Bombers to rise up the ladder in 2026, but Scott would want to see improvement, particularly from the younger brigade drafted under his watch. This is a team undertaking a rebuild, so there will likely be short-term pain, but it’s how Scott manages the season that matters. He’s on the record saying he wants time to continue implementing the plan that’s no doubt been approved by the higher-ups, and he signed a further one-year extension last year to see him through until 2027. Don’t expect an extension beyond that, for now; further internal crises could bring to an end his soon-to-be four-year-long tenure.

Brad Scott was dealt a cruel hand with injuries last year. Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

6. Justin Longmuir

One finals win in six years for Longmuir, who looked to have made significant strides late in 2025, going 12-2 in the lead-in to September action. But an elimination final loss to Gold Coast, in Perth, means there is pressure right back on Longmuir to deliver more. And he should, the list is young and talented. On an ‘ongoing employment agreement’, Longmuir isn’t locked in long-term at the Dockers, which, after finishes of 12th, 11th, 5th, 14th, 10th, and 6th, you can read into however you like. When it comes down to it, his place on this list reflects where he’s at — under more pressure than most, but not in the hottest seats.

Justin Longmuir needs to start winning finals. Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images

5. Matthew Nicks

Is it … seventh year lucky for Nicks? He was our No. 1 coach under pressure this time last year, with the Crows having finished bottom four in 2024. He’s earned a bit of reprieve this time around; his side was flying in 2025, finishing clear on top of the ladder, but that’s when it all fell apart. Two back-to-back losses in September and Adelaide became the first club to finish top of the ladder and exit finals in straight sets since 1983. What happens this year? They remain an offensive powerhouse, continue to punch above down back, and find a bit more midfield grunt? It sounds like a recipe for success, but footy is a funny game…

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4. Luke Beveridge

The Bulldogs were a complete enigma in 2025. Let’s quickly recap. They won 14 games and lost nine, and had the league’s third-best percentage, yet missed finals finishing ninth. If they had that season in 2026, they make the ‘wildcard’ round, and who knows. Now to Beveridge. Would he be in the below band had he not signed a contract extension in June last year? Probably, but the Dogs continue to show faith in a coach who has taken them to the Grand Final twice and won a premiership (now a decade ago) … but expectations are rightly quite high. Wasting another year of Marcus Bontempelli won’t go down well.

Is it hot in here?

3. Alastair Clarkson

Fans have been incredibly patient with this rebuild but it’s time to see a fair bit of improvement from North Melbourne. It’s been six years of bottom-four finishes, and while Clarkson has not been at the helm of all of these, he’s been on a lucrative deal to coach the Kangaroos, and it’s time to deliver. There’s enough talent on this list to be challenging for a ‘wildcard’ spot at the end of the year, though defensive stocks are a worry. It’s not like Clarkson hasn’t had time to address this, however. While the Roos are unlikely to part ways with the four-time premiership-winning coach, another bottom four finish could, and should, spell danger.

Alastair Clarkson needs to deliver on the hype at North Melbourne. Photo by James Wiltshire/AFL Photos via Getty Images

2. Ross Lyon

Put plainly, you can’t have had the offseason St Kilda did without expectations rising accordingly. Tom De Koning, Jack Silvagni, Sam Flanders, and Liam Ryan come into the Saints, hopefully to lift them into premiership contention. Along with re-signing Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera, Lyon now has enough tools for this side to make a run in September. Don’t forget, he’s into his fourth year at the helm this time around, and has only made finals once (in his first year, for a loss). Underperforming in 2026 would raise eyebrows, and given he’s only signed until 2027, questions might be asked as to whether he can extract the best out of this list.

1. Michael Voss

Michael Voss is the coach under the most pressure heading into season 2026. He’s now into the last year of his contract; a year he almost didn’t get to after Carlton’s disappointing 2025 season in which they finished 11th, with disastrous losses to Richmond and North Melbourne. Voss was one of two coaches to stick with the ‘pressure and contest’ style of play while all other teams focussed on ball movement. The other was Simon Goodwin, who got the sack from Melbourne. This year is crucial for Voss to show he can adapt, and play a style that suits his charges and holds up against all opposition. Otherwise, he could be out of a job before year’s end.

Michael Voss remains under extreme pressure at the Blues. Morgan Hancock/AFL Photos/via Getty Images