Source: AFL NSW/ACT
AFL CAPTAINS GIVE THEIR TIPS
Overwhelmingly, the view of the game's on-field leaders is that reigning premier the Geelong Cats will be heavily challenged by two teams with long premiership droughts, while exciting young West Coast star Nic Naitanui and North Melbourne’s emerging midfielder Jack Ziebell are their picks as the emerging young stars of the game.
A total of 11 different players received a tip as a choice for this year’s Brownlow Medal favourite while the Coleman Medal as leading goalkicker is expected to be fought out between Lance Franklin, Brendan Fevola and a rejuvenated Barry Hall, in the eyes of the AFL’s captains.
At a gathering with the AFL Commission in Melbourne today on the eve of the season launch, the captains were asked five key questions on the season ahead, with the proviso that their individual answers would be treated anonymously to ensure personal views:
Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight?
Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
Who do you think will win the 2010 Coleman Medal?
Who do you think will win the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star?
Who do you think will win the 2010 Brownlow Medal?
The Saints and the Bulldogs were each nominated by six captains to reach this year’s Grand Final and those two clubs, along with Collingwood, were a unaninmous pick by a maximum 15 captains as expected to reach September action.
The full voting was:
Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight? (16 times seven selections)
Collingwood (15), St Kilda (15), Western Bulldogs (15), Brisbane Lions (14), Geelong Cats (14), Adelaide (13), Hawthorn (12), Port Adelaide (five), Essendon (two), North Melbourne (two), Sydney Swans (two), West Coast (two), Carlton (one), Fremantle (nil), Richmond (nil), Melbourne (nil).
Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
St Kilda (six), Western Bulldogs (six), Geelong Cats (three), Collingwood (one).
Who do you think will win the 2010 Brownlow Medal?
Gary Ablett, Geelong Cats (three), Joel Selwood, Geelong Cats (two), Nick Dal Santo, St Kilda (two), Chris Judd, Carlton (two), Simon Black, Brisbane Lions (one), Adam Goodes, Sydney Swans (one), Barry Hall, Western Bulldogs (one), Brent Harvey, North Melbourne (one), Lenny Hayes, St Kilda (one), Leigh Montagna, St Kilda (one), Dane Swan, Collingwood (one).
Who do you think will win the 2010 Coleman Medal?
Brendan Fevola, Brisbane Lions (five), Barry Hall, Western Bulldogs (four), Lance Franklin, Hawthorn (four), Daniel Bradshaw, Sydney Swans (one), Jonathon Brown, Brisbane Lions (one), Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda (one).
Who do you think will win the 2010 NAB AFL Rising Star?
Nic Naitanui, West Coast (five), Jack Ziebell, North Melbourne (five), Jack Trengove, Melbourne (two), Ben Cunnington, North Melbourne (one), Dustin Martin, Richmond (one), Andrew Moore, Port Adelaide (one), Anthony Morabito, Fremantle (one).
