Butters is a restricted free agent after this season and Victorian clubs would love to lure the Port Adelaide player back to his home state. Neale's well-publicised marriage wows mean he could leave Brisbane later this year and return to WA so he is closer to his children.
* CAN ANYONE STOP A LIONS THREE-PEAT?
For all the off-season turmoil around Neale, Brisbane have recruited well and will start the season in robust shape. Gold Coast claimed their first finals win last year and an historic south-east Queensland grand final is starting to look feasible.
* WHAT CAN THE SAINTS AND NAS DO?
St Kilda's busy recruiting makes them a team to watch this season. Bringing in Jack Silvagni, Tom De Koning, Liam Ryan and Sam Flanders, among others, should put them in finals contention. Nasiah Wanganeen-Milera also re-signed on a bumper contract and is well on the way to becoming one of the AFL's top players.
* WHAT DIFFERENCE WILL THE RULES CHANGES MAKE?
No substitute on the bench, no more bouncing of the ball at ruck contests. Some last-touch out of the bounds will mean a free kick. Rucks can no longer cross the line at centre bounces and the stand rule has been tightened. The AFL wants the game to be faster and the game not to run quite so long.
* THE AFL EXPANDS THE FINALS SERIES
For the first time since 2000, the finals system will be changed with the introduction of a wildcard round. This means the ninth and 10th-placed teams will be in the September hunt. Not everyone's happy, but it's the sort of change that's worked well overseas in sports such as Major League Baseball. Is Essendon's famous finals win drought about to end?
* BIG-NAME RECRUITS
Charlie Curnow would love nothing better than to kick a bag of goals when his new club Sydney starts the season on Thursday night by hosting his old team Carlton. Christian Petracca and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan (Gold Coast), Clayton Oliver (GWS) are other big names now at different clubs.
* ARE ADELAIDE THE REAL DEAL?
The Crows impressed for much of last season, but Izak Rankine's suspension was a massive distraction and they went out of their first finals series since 2017 with two losses. A spate of injuries in the pre-season is a worry.
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