Last year's runners up – the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos are predicted to go one-better than last year and win the 2024 NAB AFLW Grand Final, according to the eighteen AFLW Captains who are gathering in Melbourne today.
As all 18 club representatives make their way to Melbourne to officially launch the 2024 NAB AFLW Season, they were anonymously polled on five key questions on how they believe the season will unfold, with North Melbourne (nine votes), Brisbane Lions (eight votes) and Geelong Cats (one vote) drawing nominations for which other club apart from their own is most likely to push into this year’s NAB AFLW Grand Final.
The reigning NAB AFLW Premiers and 2023 Toyota AFL Grand Finalists, the Brisbane Lions, were tipped as the club most likely to win the McClelland trophy (eight votes). This was consistent with the AFL Captains who also predicted a stellar year for the Lions, followed closely by current Toyota AFL ladder leaders Sydney Swans (six votes), with the Captains predicting a similar display of dominance from the Swans' AFLW team.
Four-time Club Champion winner, Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne), was tipped to be the stand-out player of the competition ahead of reigning MVP Monique Conti (Richmond), and Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide Crows) to win this season's league Best and Fairest.
Melbourne Captain, Kate Hore, is predicted to win back-to-back league leading goal-kicking awards with five votes, followed by two-time Club leading goal kicker Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions) with three votes and Bonnie Toogood (Essendon) with two votes.
The 2024 Telstra AFLW Rising Star is predicted to be won by talented midfielder Shineah Goody (Port Adelaide) who received four votes, following a stand-out U18 National Championships campaign in both 2022 (Most Valuable Player (MVP)) and 2023 (runner up MVP). 2023 AFLW Draft picks no. 3 and 6, Kaitlyn Srhoj (GWS GIANTS) and Elaine Grigg (Western Bulldogs) respectively were tipped close behind Goody with two votes each.
Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
(No Captains predicted Brisbane Lions to win the 2023 NAB AFLW Grand Final)
9 – North Melbourne
8 – Brisbane Lions
1 – Geelong Cats
Which club is most likely to win the McClelland Trophy?
Polled at the start of the AFL season, the AFL Captains predicted Brisbane (eight votes)
8 - Brisbane Lions
6 - Sydney Swans
3 - Geelong Cats
1- Western Bulldogs
Who will win the competition Best and Fairest?
(Seven Captains correctly predicted Monique Conti, Richmond, to win the 2023 AFLW Best and Fairest)
8 - Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
3 - Monique Conti (Richmond)
2 - Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Belle Dawes (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans)
1 - Ellie McKenzie (Richmond)
1 - Tyanna Smith (St Kilda)
1 - Bella Lewis (West Coast)
Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
(One Captain predicted Kate Hore (Melbourne), to kick the most goals in 2023, though no Captains predicted it would be a tie with her teammate Eden Zanker)
5 - Kate Hore (Melbourne)
3 - Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
2 - Bonnie Toogood (Essendon)
1 - Eden Zanker (Melbourne)
1 - Aine Tighe (Fremantle)
1 – Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda)
1 - Danielle Ponter (Adelaide Crows)
1 - Caitlin Gould (Adelaide)
1 - Chloe Scheer (Geelong Cats)
1 - Monique Conti (Richmond)
1- Kellie Gibson (West Coast)
Who will win the Telstra AFLW Rising Star?
(One Captain predicted Zarlie Goldsworthy (GWS GIANTS), to win the 2023 NAB AFLW Rising Star Award)
4 - Shineah Goody (Port Adelaide)
2 - Kaitlyn Srhoj (GWS GIANTS)
2 - Elaine Grigg (Western Bulldogs)
1 - Sophie Peters (Brisbane Lions)
1 - Lucy Cronin (Collingwood)
1 - Emily Gough (Essendon)
1 - Lila Keck (Carlton)
1 - Laura Stone (Hawthorn)
1 - Emelia Yassir (Richmond)
1 - Charlotte Simpson (St Kilda)
1 - Jessica Rentsch (West Coast)
1 - Abby Bushby (West Coast Eagles)
1 - Kristie-Lee Weston-Turner (Western Bulldogs)
The full survey results were polled by:
Adelaide Crows – Sarah Allan
Brisbane Lions – Bre Koenen
Carlton – Kerryn Peterson
Collingwood – Bri Davey
Essendon – Bonnie Toogood
Fremantle – Ange Stannett
Geelong Cats – Meg McDonald
Gold Coast SUNS – Tara Bohanna
GWS GIANTS – Rebecca Beeson
Hawthorn – Emily Bates
Melbourne – Kate Hore
North Melbourne – Emma Kearney
Port Adelaide – Janelle Cuthbertson
Richmond – Katie Brennan
St Kilda – Hannah Priest
Sydney Swans – Lucy McEvoy
West Coast Eagles – Emma Swanson
Western Bulldogs – Deanna Berry
