Australian Football League in 2016: a club-by-club guide

The forerunner of the 2016 Australian Football League (AFL) season, the pre-season competition, gets underway on Thursday night when Hawthorn and Carlton dust off the summer cobwebs and meet in Launceston, Tasmania.

It was less than five months ago that Hawthorn won its third consecutive AFL premiership and much of the focus on the upcoming season will be whether the Hawks can do what only the Collingwood side of 1927-1930 has been able to achieve: win four straight flags.

At the other end of the spectrum, the uncertainty that shrouds the Essendon Bombers following the suspension of 12 players for doping infringements is only exacerbated by the arrival of new coach John Worsfold.

Worsfold was not the only coaching change in the off-season, though, with Brendan Bolton and Don Pyke assuming their first head-coaching positions at the Carlton Blues and Adelaide Crows, respectively.

Nathan Buckley will be desperate for his Collingwood Magpies to make finals this season for the first time since 2013 after the club once again stocked up on young talent in the off-season.

Meanwhile, with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Richmond Tigers' head coach Damien Hardwick will be under intense pressure to deliver wins early in order to earn a contract extension.

The AFL season proper begins on March 24th, when Carlton and Richmond meet at the MCG on a Thursday night.

Here, Xinhua presents a guide to the 18 teams, and their chances in 2016:

Adelaide Crows

Key recruits: Troy Menzel, Paul Seedsman, Curtly Hampton (trade)

Key departures: Patrick Dangerfield (trade), Brent Reilly (retired)

2015 result: Semi-final loss

Coach: Don Pyke

Captain: Taylor Walker

The great unknown of a new coach in Don Pyke coupled with the hole in midfield left by Patrick Dangerfield's departure for Geelong in the off-season could mean a significant drop-off from 2015 for the Crows this season.

2016 prediction: 12th

Brisbane Lions

Key recruits: Ryan Bastinac, Tom Bell (trade), Joshua Schache (draft)

Key departures: James Aish, Jack Redden (trade), Matthew Leuenberger (Free agent)

2015 result: 17th

Coach: Justin Leppitsch

Captain: Tom Rockliff

There is the foundation of a potentially very good team in Brisbane now that the long-term goal kicking solution has hopefully been found in youngster Josh Schache but 2016 will be another year of developing young talent for the Lions.

2016 prediction: 16th

Carlton Blues

Key recruits: Jacob Weitering, Harry McKay, Charlie Curnow (draft)

Key departures: Troy Menzel, Lachie Henderson, Tom Bell, Chris Yarran (trade), Andrew Carrazzo (retired)

2015 result: 18th

Coach: Brendan Bolton

Captain: Marc Murphy

The good news for Carlton is that this season cannot go worse than 2015, when the club finished last on the ladder and sacked coach Mick Malthouse, however the rebuild will continue and wins will be few and far between. Any more than five wins would be a raging success.

2016 prediction: 17th

Collingwood Magpies

Key recruits: Adam Treloar, James Aish, Jeremy Howe (trade)

Key departures: Nathan Freeman, Ben Kennedy, Paul Seedsman (trade)

2015 result: 12th

Coach: Nathan Buckley

Captain: Scott Pendlebury

One of the most intriguing sides heading into the 2016 season; the whips will be cracking as the club is desperate for a finals berth after another influx of young talent. Nathan Buckley, in his fifth season, will be under immense pressure to keep his job if the Pies should miss finals again.

2016 prediction: 9th

Essendon Bombers

Key recruits: Matthew Leuenberger (free agency), Darcy Parish, Aaron Francis (draft), Ryan Crowley, James Kelly, Jonathan Simpkin, Matthew Stokes, Mark Jamar (top-up replacements)

Key departures: Jake Carlisle, Jake Melksham (trade), Dustin Fletcher (retired), Jobe Watson, Tom Bellchambers, Dyson Heppell, Travis Colyer, Michael Hibberd, Heath Hocking, Cale Hooker, Ben Howlett, Michael Hurley, David Myers, Tayte Pears, Brett Stanton (suspended)

2015 result: 15th

Coach: John Worsfold

Captain: Brendon Goddard

Take a lamentable side that managed six wins and strip it of 12 regular first-team players and you get a team that will struggle to win two games this year. The upside for Essendon in 2016 is that the season marks something of a new beginning after the club's drug saga final ended with the 12-month suspensions of 34 past and present Essendon players.

2016 prediction: 18th

Fremantle Dockers

Key recruits: Harley Bennell (trade)

Key departures: Luke McPharlin (retired)

2015 result: 3rd

Coach: Ross Lyon

Captain: David Mundy

Another trade period gone and Fremantle is still yet to find Matthew Pavlich's replacement and as such will not have the scoring capacity to win the 2016 premiership. While they're invariably defensively resolute, any team coached by Ross Lyon has never averaged over 100 points per game for an entire season.

2016 prediction: 7th

Geelong Cats

Key recruits: Patrick Dangerfield, Lachie Henderson, Zac Smith, Scott Selwood (trade)

Key departures: Steve Johnson (trade), James Kelly (retired*), Matthew Stokes (retired*)

2015 result: 10th

Coach: Chris Scott

Captain: Joel Selwood

Geelong's recruitment of superstar Patrick Dangerfield from Adelaide and handy utility Lachie Henderson from Carlton was one of the biggest stories of the off-season. However, whether the Cats have the defensive mettle to become real contenders remains to be seen. Ambitions of a top four finish for Geelong in 2016 rely heavily on defender Harry Taylor to bounce back from a rare down year in 2015.

2016 prediction: 6th

Gold Coast Suns

Key recruits: Matt Rosa (West Coast), Callum Ah Chee (draft)

Key departures: Charlie Dixon, Zac Smith, Harley Bennell (trade)

2015 result: 16th

Coach: Rodney Eade

Captain: Gary Ablett Jr

The good news for the Suns: Gary's back. After just six games in 2015 due to a run of injuries, captain Gary Ablett is back and will be determined to drag his team back to some semblance of competitiveness while reclaiming the title of the best player in the game. The bad news: unless a handful of players make leaps in their development and injuries stay away they won't play finals in 2016.

2016 prediction: 14th

Greater Western Sydney Giants

Key recruits: Steve Johnson (trade), Jacob Hopper, Matthew Kennedy (draft)

Key departures: Adam Treloar (trade)

2015 result: 11th

Coach: Leon Cameron

Captain: Callan Ward and Phil Davis

The departure of Adam Treloar will be a minor setback for the Giants but there is so much talent waiting in the wings that the Giants will be able to cover his lost output. Another run at finals is certainly on the cards assuming full health.

2016 prediction: 10th

Hawthorn Hawks

Key recruits: -

Key departures: Matt Suckling (free agency), Jed Anderson (trade)

2015 result: Premiers

Coach: Alastair Clarkson

Captain: Luke Hodge

Once again Hawthorn will take the first half of the home and away season relatively easy to conserve energy for a tilt at a fourth consecutive premiership before launching an assault. The Hawks will at the very least make the Grand Final.

2016 prediction: 2nd

Melbourne Demons

Key recruits: Ben Kennedy, Jake Melksham (trade), Clayton Oliver (draft)

Key departures: Jeremy Howe, Jimmy Toumpas (trade), Jake Melksham (suspended)

2015 ladder position: 13th

Coach: Paul Roos

Captain: Nathan Jones

In the last season of Paul Roos' tenure as coach of Melbourne, the Demons simply have to show quantifiable improvement again this year. Expect a more attacking Melbourne side after Roos has spent the previous two years improving the side defensively.

2016 prediction: 13th

North Melbourne Kangaroos

Key recruits: Jed Anderson (trade)

Key departures: Ryan Bastinac (trade)

2015 result: 4th

Coach: Brad Scott

Captain: Andrew Swallow

This really is the last chance for this North Melbourne side to go all the way. 2016 will almost certainly be Brent Harvey and Drew Petrie's swansong leaving North with significant holes to fill in the side. Unfortunately for the Kangaroos the quality to compete with the likes of Hawthorn isn't there and it won't be a fairytale ending for Petrie and Harvey.

2016 prediction: 8th

Port Adelaide Power

Key recruits: Charlie Dixon, Jimmy Toumpas (trade)

Key departures: Kane Cornes (retired), Patrick Ryder, Angus Monfries (suspended)

2015 ladder position: 9th

Coach: Ken Hinkley

Captain: Travis Boak

By far and away the most disappointing team of 2015 after a scintillating 2014 campaign expect Port to be back to their running and gunning best in 2016. A big premiership chance if they can avoid the early stumbles that condemned 2015.

2016 prediction: 1st

Richmond Tigers

Key recruits: Chris Yarran (trade)

Key departures: Chris Newman (retired)

2015 result: 7th

Coach: Damien Hardwick

Captain: Trent Cotchin

Another year and Richmond is once again one player away from contention, a situation which has become all too familiar for Richmond supporters. The Tigers could still theoretically finish top four but everything would have to go right for a club which has gained infamy for everything going wrong.

2016 prediction: 5th

St Kilda Saints

Key recruits: Jake Carlisle, Nathan Freeman (trade)

Key departures: Farren Ray (delisted), Jake Carlisle (suspended)

2015 result: 14th

Coach: Alan Richardson

Captain: Nick Riewoldt

St Kilda will have to wait at least one more year to bear the fruits of its rebuild, having secured a long-term key defender in Jake Carlisle from Essendon. St Kilda promptly lost him for 2016 to a doping suspension. Still, the Saints just need to show gradual improvement as they continue to focus on the future.

2016 prediction: 14th

Sydney Swans

Key recruits: Callum Mills (draft)

Key departures: Adam Goodes (retired), Lewis Jetta (trade)

2015 result: 5th

Coach: John Longmire

Captain: Kieran Jack and Jarrad McVeigh

Despite finishing fourth on the ladder 2015 was a down year for the Swans who were never considered serious premiership threats. Finally with a clean bill of health and Lance Franklin back from a mental health scare, the Swans will be looking to make a statement of intent in the regular season.

2016 prediction: 3rd

West Coast Eagles

Key recruits: Lewis Jetta, Jack Redden (trade)

Key departures: Matt Rosa (trade), Scott Selwood (free agency), Beau Waters (retired)

2015 result: 2nd

Coach: Adam Simpson

Captain: Shannon Hurn

The only question over West Coast is over whether the rolling zone, which almost propelled them to a premiership last year, be as effective this season or if every team will be able to follow Hawthorn's blueprint from the grand final and slowly pick the Eagles apart.

2016 prediction: 4th

Western Bulldogs

Key recruits: Matthew Suckling (free agency)

Key departures: Stewart Crameri (suspended)

2015 result: 8th

Coach: Luke Beveridge

Captain: Robert Murphy

If the Eagles weren't the most surprising team of 2015, then the Bulldogs definitely were. Luke Beveridge's young side played fast-paced attacking football that made them almost everyone's second team. However, the path to ultimate success is so rarely linear in any professional sport and the Bulldogs are so young that a down-year will come as a shock to nobody.

2016 prediction: 11th

Endit