The 18 AFL club captains have voted for the teams they see as their biggest competition in 2020 and players they think will take out the end-of-season awards.
Greater Western Sydney (17), Richmond (17), West Coast (17), Collingwood (16), Brisbane (15), Western Bulldogs (13) and Port Adelaide (10) have been voted as the clubs most likely to make this year’s top eight, with each club’s captain picking seven other teams.
Seven of the 18 captains think they will take on GWS in the grand final, while five believe it will be West Coast. Last year, 13 picked premiership winners Richmond, who were only nominated four times this year.
Carlton’s Patrick Cripps has been tipped to continue the dominance of midfield beasts winning the Brownlow Medal, with five votes, ahead of Brisbane’s Lachie Neale (four). Previous winners Nat Fyfe (three), Dustin Martin (two) and Patrick Dangerfield (one) are among the leading fancies again this year.
Richmond forward Tom Lynch won six votes as the player most likely to lead the league’s goal kicking chart this season, ahead of last year’s winner Jeremy Cameron (five). West Coast veteran Josh Kennedy (three) is seen as another leading contender.
Captains have again favoured the previous year’s No.1 draft pick, with nine selecting Gold Coast’s Matt Rowell to claim the Rising Star award this season. In 2019, 11 of the skippers correctly picked Carlton’s Sam Walsh.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
I got Cripps at $15 last week, solid money I reckon
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Will he be lifting his shoulder in this statue? Maybe a nice representation of him ducking his head into an ongoing tackler. Yep, still sore about it.
Brendon the 1st
Roar Rookie
Makes you wonder why the AFL don't have a serious look at this, talk to the umps about it
fabian gulino
Roar Rookie
magpies to finish 6 postion.
Chris
Roar Rookie
I would have suspended him after that 2015 hit on Taylor Duryea. But having said that was definitely the best standout player of the year and won that brownlow.
Chris
Roar Rookie
Cripps won’t be in enough winning games to win. I don’t think he’ll do a 2013 Ablett. Also probably Carlton won’t even win 8 games.
Paul D
Roar Rookie
He'd probably win best manbun over Nat too despite having the same barber as Ben Cousins
6x6 perkele
Roar Rookie
Walters is way worse
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
When the house is made of glass, leave those stones on the ground.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Dusty or Cripps. Both are loved by the media and that will influence the umpires decision.
13th Man
Roar Rookie
Shuey is a stager.. not even in West Coasts top 5 players. I'd have Yeo, Kelly, Gaff, McGovern and Kennedy all well ahead of him.
Nick
Roar Guru
It's easier for the umpires to just suspend him. They'll find a way.
Nick
Roar Guru
No they weren't...but they won in eras where positional players also won awards. Not diminishing Fyfe's achievements, he's a star player, but when you are just one of 7-8 players the umpires are going to pay attention to each year, it loses it's sheen. It can be seen in the voting. Six times in the last decade the winner got 30+ votes. There were only six occasions where that happened from 1924-2009 (and one of those years was 2009).
Nico
Roar Rookie
Based on Pre-Season, would throw Essendon into the 8. They’re (surprisingly) looking really good, and watch out when they unleash Mosquito. Can’t believe Hawks passed on this kid... smh.
Nico
Roar Rookie
Assuming both play an uninterrupted season, Brownlow is guaranteed to Cripps or Bont. I’d put a great big fat wager on Bont.
Gerard Klomp
Guest
I would like to see a West Coast Eagles and Richmond Grand Final in 2020. I think either Luke Shuey or Elliot Yeo to win the Brownlow and I think Jack Darling has a chance in winning the Coleman this year.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
Mossed him. will do a knee for sure.
Yattuzzi
Roar Rookie
What he has the whole year? I thought it was just a few months.
Eddie from Elwood
Roar Rookie
No one will see it though
Don Freo
Roar Rookie
Was beaten by Crowden in the second half last week.