WITH a strong pre-season and a largely retained squad, reigning premiers Melbourne are the popular choice among AFLW captains to snatch back-to-back titles.

The League's 18 club skippers gathered in Melbourne on Monday for the launch of the new season, with 14 of them saying they expect the Demons to go all the way again.

In 2022's pre-season questionnaire, eight captains correctly predicted Melbourne would take out season seven.

The 2023 campaign signals something of a new era for the Demons, who have retained 28 players but will be without inaugural skipper Daisy Pearce as they bid for back-to-back titles.

Two-time All-Australian Kate Hore has enjoyed a promising start to her task of filling Pearce's boots, leading the side to two dominant wins in pre-season.

Adelaide, three-time AFLW premiership winners, gathered two votes in the captains poll followed by North Melbourne and Geelong.

A first flag has remained elusive for the Kangaroos, who came close in 2020 when they finished second on the ladder only for the season to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Geelong has twice contested finals since joining the League in 2019, with the most recent coming in last year's season seven.

Five-time Richmond best-and-fairest winner Monique Conti was tipped to be this season's stand-out player, ahead of North Melbourne's leading goalkicker and All-Australian Jasmine Garner.

Garner's teammate, the Kangaroos' newest recruit Kate Shierlaw, is predicted to be the leading goalkicker, with the second-highest number of votes going to last year's winner and St Kilda newcomer Jess Wardlaw.

AFLW's eighth season begins on September 1 with a showdown between Melbourne and Collingwood at Ikon Park.

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Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
(Eight Captains correctly picked Melbourne in Season Seven)
14 – Melbourne
2 – Adelaide Crows
1 – Geelong Cats
1 – North Melbourne

Who will win the competition Best and Fairest?
(No Captains predicted Ally Anderson, Brisbane Lions, to win the 2022 Season Seven AFLW Best and Fairest)
7 - Monique Conti (Richmond)
3 - Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
2 - Anne Hatchard (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)
1 - Kiara Bowers (Fremantle)
1 - Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats)
1 - Maddy Prespakis (Essendon)
1 - Alyce Parker (GWS GIANTS)
1 - Bri Davey (Collingwood)

Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
(One Captain predicted Jesse Wardlaw, formerly Brisbane Lions, to kick the most goals in Season Seven)
5 - Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne)
2 - Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda)
2 - Caitlin Greiser (Richmond)
2 - Chloe Scheer (Geelong Cats)
2 - Aine Tighe (Fremantle)
1 – Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
1 - Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 - Ash Saint (Port Adelaide)
1 - Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)

Who will win the AFLW Rising Star?
(One Captain predicted Hannah Ewings, Port Adelaide, to win the 2022 NAB AFL Season Seven Women's Rising Star Award)
2 - Alana Gee (Gold Coast SUNS)
2 - Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
2 - Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
1 - Sarah Goodwin (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Charlie Mullins (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Mia Austin (Carlton)
1 - Amber Clarke (Essendon) 
1 - Charlotte Baskaran (Hawthorn)
1 - Zarlie Goldsworthy (GWS GIANTS)
1 - Bridie Hipwell (Hawthorn)
1 - Tess Craven (North Melbourne)
1 - Stella Reid (Richmond)
1 - Abby Bushby (West Coast Eagles)
1 - Sofia Hurley (Sydney)
1 - Charlotte Blair (Collingwood)

If you could recruit another player from any AFLW Club who would it be?
4 - Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
3 - Kate Hore (Melbourne)
2 - Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
1 - Bri Davey (Collingwood)
1 - Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne)
1 - Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
1 - Tyla Hanks (Melbourne)
1 - Mimi Hill (Carlton)
1 - Monique Conti (Richmond)
1 - Courtney Hodder (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Danielle Ponter (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Alyce Parker (GWS GIANTS)

The full survey results were polled by:
Adelaide Crows – Sarah Allan
Brisbane Lions – Bre Koenen
Carlton – Kerryn Peterson
Collingwood – Bri Davey
Essendon – Stephanie Cain
Fremantle – Hayley Miller
Geelong Cats – Meghan McDonald
Gold Coast SUNS – Tara Bohanna 
GWS GIANTS – Alicia Eva
Hawthorn – Tilly Lucas-Rodd 
Melbourne – Kate Hore 
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos – Emma Kearney 
Port Adelaide – Erin Phillips 
Richmond – Katie Brennan 
St Kilda – Hannah Priest 
Sydney Swans – Chloe Molloy 
West Coast Eagles – Emma Swanson 
Western Bulldogs – Ellie Blackburn