It’s only the middle of March, but the panic is here.

After a shocker in Sydney, the stakes are starting to feel heightened already.

With another twenty-one games to go in a very long 2026 season, we can afford to lose no more than four of them if we want to finish in the top four.

17-4 is a big ask in any circumstances, let alone when you’re the reigning premiers and have the entire competition breathing down your neck.

Thankfully, the early season bye has given us a brief deep breath to take stock and reload, but the back-to-back premiership glow we’ve been enjoying over the summer is starting to feel like a distant memory.  

This week on the podcast:

-Is the Kiddy/Zorko backline combination working?

-Behind the scenes of afl.com.au's Return of the Pride podcast

-Dom's pitch for what Mike should do if the Lions complete the hat trick

And much more!

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