THIS year's premiership is a three-horse race according to the AFL's captains, with Hawthorn, the Sydney Swans and Fremantle the only sides tipped to contest September's Grand Final.

As is tradition on the eve of the season, all 18 of the League's skippers were confidentially polled on five topics regarding the season ahead.

When asked which sides other than their own would play off in the premiership decider the Hawks won 10 votes, the Swans five and Dockers three.

All three clubs were tipped by every captain to finish in the top eight, along with Geelong (16 votes), Collingwood (12), West Coast (11), North Melbourne (9), Richmond (9), Essendon (7), Port Adelaide (7), Adelaide (2) and Carlton (2).

Full skippers' survey revealed

Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury was nominated as the most likely player to take out the Brownlow Medal with four votes, narrowly favoured ahead of Gold Coast's Gary Ablett and Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield with three votes each.

Nathan Fyfe, Dustin Martin, Sam Mitchell, Jarryd Roughead, Joel Selwood, Dane Swan and Jobe Watson were also named.

Magpie spearhead Travis Cloke and West Coast counterpart Josh Kennedy each attracted five nominations as Coleman Medal winner, while exciting young Sun Jack Martin was heavily tipped to be crowned this year's NAB AFL Rising Star (seven votes).  

New Lion James Aish (2), Saint Jack Billings (2). Bomber Joe Daniher (2), and Bulldog Marcus Bontempelli, Swan Harry Cunningham, Magpie Brodie Grundy, Giant Josh Kelly and North's Luke McDonald, each with one nomination, also won favour.

Twitter: @AFL_Harry