It was another season full of promise that ended in disappointment in 2024 with Essendon missing the finals completely.
The bookies have written off the Bombers in 202, with the club tipped to finish around the bottom four in what would be a complete disaster.
For another regretful season to be avoided, Brad Scott's team will need several players to lift their performances.
The Sporting News looks at a couple of Bombers who will be under scrutiny in 2025.
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Can Peter get it Wright?
In 2022, Peter Wright kicked 53 goals and won Essendon's best and fairest ahead of Zach Merrett.
At 26 years old, it looked as if the Bombers were set in the key forward department for the next few years.
But through injury, form loss and lack of confidence, Wright has failed to kick more than 20 goals in each of the past two seasons.
With the loss of 40-odd goals from Jake Stringer, Essendon need Wright to step in the goalkicking department alongside Kyle Langford, who has kicked 43 and 51 in the past two seasons.
Otherwise it's going to be a battle to kick big scores and a long season could be instore.
Is Elijah the messiah?
Essendon rejected lucrative offers from other clubs for the no.5 draft pick in the 2022 draft which they selected Elijah Tsatas with.
The Bombers passed up the likes of Mattaes Phillipou, Bailey Humphrey and Ollie Hollands to pick the highly-touted Tsatas.
While there is plenty of time for Tsatas to make it at AFL level, he has only managed 11 senior games in his first two seasons.
Question marks have been raised over the quality of his disposal and there were rumours he could be traded during the recent player movement period.
But the 20-year-old has remained at Tullamarine and will likely get the opportunity to show his talents during the upcoming season.
Another quality midfielder alongside the likes of Merrett, Darcy Parish, Jye Caldwell and Sam Durham could make the Essendon engine room start to look formidable.