THE CAPTAINS of the 18 teams in the NAB AFLW competition have given their predictions for the upcoming season, with Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions the strong favourites to set the pace on the field.
As the NAB AFLW Season Seven launches on Wednesday, the 18 skippers were anonymously polled on five key questions on how they believe the season will unfold, with Melbourne (eight votes), Brisbane (five votes), Adelaide Crows (four votes) and Fremantle (one vote) drawing nominations for which other club apart from their own is most likely to push into this year's Grand Final.
2022 Richmond club best and fairest winner Monique Conti (Richmond) was tipped to be the standout player of the competition with four votes ahead of Anne Hatchard (Adelaide Crows) and Emily Bates (Brisbane Lions) to win this season's League best and fairest.
Melbourne's Tayla Harris was tipped to kick the most goals in the competition with four votes followed by Richmond's Katie Brennan (three votes) and Melbourne's Kate Hore (two votes).
No.1 selection in the 2022 NAB AFL Women's Draft, Montana Ham (Sydney Swans), was overwhelmingly selected by seven captains to claim the NAB AFLW Rising Star award in her debut season.
Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
(Seven captains correctly picked Melbourne in Season Six)
8 – Melbourne
5 – Brisbane Lions
4 – Adelaide Crows
1 – Fremantle
Who will win the competition Best and Fairest?
(No captains predicted Emily Bates, Brisbane Lions, to win the 2022 AFLW Best and Fairest)
4 - Monique Conti (Richmond)
3 - Anne Hatchard (Adelaide)
2 – Emily Bates (Brisbane Lions)
2 - Kate Hore (Melbourne)
2 - Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
1 - Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Chloe Molloy (Collingwood)
1 - Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs)
1 - Hayley Miller (Fremantle)
1 - Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
(No captains predicted Ashleigh Woodland, Adelaide Crows, to kick the most goals in Season Six)
4 – Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
3 – Katie Brennan (Richmond)
2 - Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 - Nicola Stevens (St Kilda)
1 - Ash Woodland (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Jess Wardlaw (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Greta Bodey (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Bonnie Toogood (Essendon)
1 - Cora Staunton (GWS Giants)
1 - Stevie-Lee Thompson (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Gemma Houghton (Port Adelaide)
1 - Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
Who will win the NAB AFLW Rising Star?
(No captains predicted Mimi Hill, Carlton, to win the 2022 NAB AFL Women's Rising Star Award)
7 – Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
5 - Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
3 - Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Ellie McKenzie (Richmond)
1 - Paige Scott (Essendon)
1 - Hannah Ewings (Port Adelaide)
If you could recruit another player from any AFLW Club who would it be?
2 - Eloise Jones (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Hayley Miller (Fremantle)
1 - Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
1 - Brianna Davey (Collingwood)
1 - Sarah Allan (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Alyssa Bannan (Melbourne)
1 - Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 - Mim Strom (Fremantle)
1 - Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
1 - Orla O'Dwyer (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Mimi Hill (Carlton)
1 - Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs)
1 - Kate Shierlaw (St Kilda)
1 - Shelley Scott (Geelong)
1 - Emily Bates (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Kirsty Lamb (Western Bulldogs)
1 - Chelsea Randall (Adelaide Crows)
The full survey results were polled by:
Adelaide Crows – Chelsea Randall
Brisbane Lions – Bre Koenen
Carlton – Kerryn Peterson
Collingwood – Steph Chiocci
Essendon - Stephanie Cain
Fremantle – Angelique Stannett
Geelong Cats – Meg McDonald
Gold Coast SUNS – Tara Bohanna
GWS Giants – Alicia Eva
Hawthorn – Tilly Lucas-Rodd
Melbourne – Daisy Pearce
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos – Emma Kearney
Port Adelaide – Erin Philips
Richmond – Katie Brennan
St Kilda – Hannah Priest
Sydney Swans – Maddy Collier
West Coast Eagles – Emma Swanson
Western Bulldogs – Ellie Blackburn
