OUR ESTEEMED team of journalists have peered into football's crystal ball and come up with their prognostications for season 2024.
Our experts were almost unanimous in their premiership tips, with Brisbane the choice of all but one of our experts, while West Coast is favoured to win the wooden spoon, although one of our experts is tipping the Hawks to finish bottom.
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On an individual level, only one expert is predicting Harley Reid to win the AFL Rising Star, while Nick Daicos and Errol Gulden have been tipped for the Brownlow.
Spooky or just kooky? Read 'em and weep (or laugh).
Damian Barrett
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Geelong
Wooden spoon: Hawthorn
Moving up: Geelong
Set to fall: Port Adelaide
Club under the most pressure (and why): Gold Coast, because it sacked Dew to get Dimma, and now won’t stop talking about finals
Will the Suns finally make finals?: No
Brownlow Medal: Chad Warner
Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron
AFL Rising Star: Ryley Sanders
Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy
Surprise All-Australian: Ollie Henry
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Def Leppard and Motley Crue
Headline you'll see: Melbourne: We Don’t Have A Drug Culture
Headline you won't see: Gold Coast: We Knew We Had Dimma Even Before 2023 Started
Big call: Suns Pick Up Buddy In Mid-Season Draft
Barrett's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Geelong
3. Sydney
4. Greater Western Sydney
5. Collingwood
6. Carlton
7. Melbourne
8. Adelaide
9. St Kilda
10. Fremantle
11. Port Adelaide
12. Western Bulldogs
13. Essendon
14. Gold Coast
15. Richmond
16. West Coast
17. North Melbourne
18. Hawthorn
Riley Beveridge
Premier: Collingwood
Runner-up: Brisbane
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Adelaide
Set to fall: St Kilda
Club under the most pressure (and why): Gold Coast. Made the splashy coaching hire, now the Suns simply have to deliver and finally play finals football
Will the Suns finally make finals?: No
Brownlow Medal: Nick Daicos
Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow
AFL Rising Star: Colby McKercher
Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz
Surprise All-Australian: Josh Rachele
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Dua Lipa
Headline you'll see: Nick Daicos stamps his name as the best player in the League
Headline you won't see: Pressure off Blues as Michael Voss' side has a quiet few weeks
Big call: All-Australian ruck Tim English lured home and joins the Eagles
Beveridge's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Collingwood
3. Carlton
4. Greater Western Sydney
5. Melbourne
6. Port Adelaide
7. Adelaide
8. Sydney
9. Gold Coast
10. Western Bulldogs
11. Geelong
12. St Kilda
13. Essendon
14. Richmond
15. Fremantle
16. North Melbourne
17. Hawthorn
18. West Coast
Sarah Black
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Collingwood
Wooden spoon: North Melbourne
Moving up: Sydney
Set to fall: Richmond
Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. An off-season in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, coupled with a talented list and an injury-decimated forward line spells concerns.
Will the Suns finally make finals?: No (the women did it last year, though!)
Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli. Please. The man needs one.
Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow
AFL Rising Star: Ryley Sanders
Recruit of the year: Tom Doedee
Surprise All-Australian: Noah Anderson
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment?: Taytay played to 96,000 last month, let's bump it up to 100k. Dream big.
Headline you'll see: Bombers' finals win-drought celebrates 20 years
Headline you won't see: Tiges bounce back under Yze
Big call: Cats to continue a slow descent, the old guard leading them to a couple of upset wins along the way
Black's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Collingwood
3. Sydney
4. Greater Western Sydney
5. Carlton
6. Melbourne
7. Port Adelaide
8. Adelaide
9. St Kilda
10. Geelong
11. Fremantle
12. Western Bulldogs
13. Gold Coast
14. Essendon
15. Richmond
16. West Coast
17. Hawthorn
18. North Melbourne
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Nat Edwards
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Carlton
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Adelaide
Set to fall: St Kilda
Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. It's the obvious answer, but after a tumultuous season they are going to be feeling the heat if they don't get off to a good start.
Will the Suns finally make finals?: I've been burned by the Suns on this front for the last two seasons, never again. So, no.
Brownlow Medal: Nick Daicos
Coleman Medal: Nick Larkey
AFL Rising Star: George Wardlaw
Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy
Surprise All-Australian: Max Holmes
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Taylor Swift - she's already been enchanted by Melbourne, so why not get her back to rock the 'G in style? It's the perfect Love Story.
Headline you'll see: Contract talks on hold for Dusty
Headline you won't see: Eagles fans revolt after West Coast brings back the banner
Big call: Brodie Grundy back in the All-Australian team
Edwards' ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Carlton
3. Collingwood
4. Port Adelaide
5. Greater Western Sydney
6. Melbourne
7. Adelaide
8. Essendon
9. Sydney
10. Western Bulldogs
11. Geelong
12. Gold Coast
13. St Kilda
14. Fremantle
15. Richmond
16. Hawthorn
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast
Josh Gabelich
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Collingwood
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Adelaide
Set to fall: St Kilda
Club under the most pressure (and why): Western Bulldogs following the off-season upheaval in the footy department.
Will the Suns finally make finals?: No
Brownlow Medal: Tom Green
Coleman Medal: Nick Larkey
AFL Rising Star: Ryley Sanders
Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy
Surprise All-Australian: Hayden Young
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? DMAs
Headline you'll see: Eagles chase free agent Tim English
Headline you won't see: Brisbane's era under Chris Fagan is over
Big call: Bailey Smith has played his final game for the Western Bulldogs
Gabelich's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Collingwood
3. Carlton
4. Greater Western Sydney
5. Sydney
6. Port Adelaide
7. Western Bulldogs
8. Adelaide
9. Melbourne
10. Gold Coast
11. St Kilda
12. Fremantle
13. Geelong
14. Essendon
15. Richmond
16. Hawthorn
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast
Sarah Olle
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Greater Western Sydney
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Adelaide
Set to fall: St Kilda
Club under the most pressure (and why): Given its off-season, Melbourne will be an eternal fascination in 2024. If Carlton can't hit the highs of last year, it will be intriguing to see if the Blues revert to self-implosion or maintain the course. Fremantle must perform better – otherwise expect coach Justin Longmuir's tenure to be at the fore of discussion in the west.
Will the Suns finally make finals?: No. But by the thinnest of margins.
Brownlow Medal: A NSW flavour: Errol Gulden or Tom Green
Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow
AFL Rising Star: If he stays fit, George Wardlaw. Expect an immediate impact from Ryley Sanders.
Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz will fit in beautifully at the reining premiers, while Brodie Grundy will fill a big hole at the Swans.
Surprise All-Australian: Mitch Owens
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Bring some more girl power to the 'G: Is Beyonce in the budget?
Headline you'll see: 400 not out: Pendles eyes Boomer's games record
Headline you won't see: Honeymoon period's over for McRae
Big call: Extra time will decide the Grand Final
Olle's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Greater Western Sydney
3. Collingwood
4. Port Adelaide
5. Carlton
6. Melbourne
7. Adelaide
8. Sydney
9. Gold Coast
10. Geelong
11. Western Bulldogs
12. St Kilda
13. Essendon
14. Fremantle
15. Richmond
16. Hawthorn
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast
Nathan Schmook
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Greater Western Sydney
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Fremantle
Set to fall: Melbourne
Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. The Demons haven't taken full advantage of their prime years. Ending two seasons of straight-sets exits will be a challenge after their pre-season setbacks.
Will the Suns finally make finals?: No
Brownlow Medal: Errol Gulden
Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow
AFL Rising Star: Colby McKercher
Recruit of the year: Brodie Grundy
Surprise All-Australian: Jordan Clark
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment?: Foo Fighters
Headline you'll see: Freo zeroes in on forward target with draft kitty
Headline you won't see: Club pushes the line with matchday concussion management
Big call: Like the Brownlow Medal in 2023, youth will be the big storyline in the Coleman Medal race (around Charlie Curnow) as Max King, Jamarra Ugle-Hagan and Nick Larkey push the superstar Blue with top-five finishes.
Schmook's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Greater Western Sydney
3. Collingwood
4. Sydney
5. Carlton
6. Fremantle
7. Adelaide
8. Port Adelaide
9. St Kilda
10. Western Bulldogs
11. Melbourne
12. Gold Coast
13. Geelong
14. Essendon
15. Hawthorn
16. Richmond
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast
Callum Twomey
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Port Adelaide
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Gold Coast
Set to fall: St Kilda
Club under the most pressure (and why): Brisbane – they're as ready as a challenger can be. Five years near the top and they have a super list.
Will the Suns finally make finals?: Miss on percentage
Brownlow Medal: Nick Daicos
Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron
AFL Rising Star: Harley Reid
Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz
Surprise All-Australian: Nic Martin
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment?: Katy Perry or Pink
Headline you'll see: Bring back the tagger
Headline you won't see: Clubs in full agreeance on 2025 mid-season trade rules
Big call: Sam Darcy becomes a star of the competition in his third season
Twomey's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Port Adelaide
3. Collingwood
4. Melbourne
5. Greater Western Sydney
6. Carlton
7. Sydney
8. Western Bulldogs
9. Gold Coast
10. Essendon
11. Adelaide
12. St Kilda
13. Fremantle
14. Geelong
15. Richmond
16. North Melbourne
17. Hawthorn
18. West Coast
Michael Whiting
Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Greater Western Sydney
Wooden spoon: West Coast
Moving up: Adelaide
Set to fall: St Kilda
Club under the most pressure (and why): Melbourne. After losing all four finals since winning the 2021 premiership, coupled with their off-field dramas, it's a huge season for Simon Goodwin's Demons, who should still be very much in premiership contention with their list.
Will the Suns finally make finals? Yes. The coach says finals is the floor, so let’s see them back it up.
Brownlow Medal: Errol Gulden
Coleman Medal: Charlie Curnow
AFL Rising Star: George Wardlaw
Recruit of the year: Lachie Schultz
Surprise All-Australian: Keidean Coleman
Who should headline the Grand Final entertainment? Foo Fighters
Headline you'll see: Hugh McCluggage is the game's next million-dollar man
Headline you won't see: Shutdown small defender selected in the All-Australian team (they're the new wingmen).
Big call: We'll see our first non-Victorian Grand Final since West Coast and Sydney in 2006.
Whiting's ladder prediction
1. Brisbane
2. Greater Western Sydney
3. Sydney
4. Collingwood
5. Carlton
6. Melbourne
7. Adelaide
8. Gold Coast
9. Port Adelaide
10. Fremantle
11. Western Bulldogs
12. Essendon
13. Geelong
14. St Kilda
15. Richmond
16. Hawthorn
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast