GEELONG is the team most likely to reach another Grand Final in 2023 while 13 different clubs have been backed to play finals this year, according to the 18 AFL club captains.

All 18 captains were polled ahead of the 2023 season, with eight skippers backing the Cats to return to the Grand Final this year, while Brisbane (four votes), Richmond and Sydney (one vote each) also won support.

>> SEE ALL THE VOTES BELOW

The Lions are the only team to be backed to reach the finals by their 17 rival captains, while two skippers believe the Swans, last year's Grand Finalists, and Melbourne, the 2021 premiers, will miss the eight completely.

No captains are expecting West Coast, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Essendon or Greater Western Sydney to play finals this year, while St Kilda and Adelaide both had the backing of one rival skipper to finish in the top eight.

Demons midfielder Clayton Oliver is the favourite to win the Brownlow Medal while the skippers expect the Coleman Medal to be a race in two between Jeremy Cameron and Tom Lynch (six votes each), with veterans Nat Fyfe and Jack Gunston also getting a vote each.

Eight captains backed Brisbane's Will Ashcroft to win the Rising Star, while Melbourne and Brisbane (six votes each) are the clear favourites to reach the 2023 AFLW Grand Final in what would be a repeat of the Season Seven decider.

Before gathering at Marvel Stadium on Thursday ahead of the 2023 season launch, the captains were asked the following six questions, with the answers collected anonymously:

1) Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight?

17 – Brisbane
16 – Geelong Cats, Richmond
15 – Sydney Swans, Melbourne
12 – Fremantle
11 – Collingwood
9 – Carlton 
6 – Western Bulldogs
5 – Port Adelaide
2 – Gold Coast
1 – St Kilda, Adelaide

2) Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
(No captain picked Geelong in 2022)

8 – Geelong Cats
4 – Melbourne, Brisbane Lions
1 – Richmond, Sydney Swans

3) Which player from another club do you think will win the 2023 Brownlow Medal?
(Two captains picked Patrick Cripps in 2022)

5 – Clayton Oliver
3 – Andrew Brayshaw, Lachie Neale
2 – Marcus Bontempelli, Touk Miller
1 – Patrick Cripps, Christian Petracca, Callum Mills

4) Which player from another club do you think will win the 2023 Coleman Medal?
(No captain picked Charlie Curnow in 2022)

6 – Jeremy Cameron, Tom Lynch
1 – Nat Fyfe, Harry McKay, Jack Gunston, Tom Hawkins, Charlie Curnow, Aaron Naughton

5) Which player from another club do you think will win the 2023 AFL Rising Star?
(Five captains picked Nick Daicos in 2022)

8 – Will Ashcroft
2 – Sam Darcy
1 – Aaron Cadman, Jai Culley, Finn Callaghan, Cameron Mackenzie, Reuben Ginbey, Harry Sheezel, Judd McVee, Mattaes Phillipou

6) Other than your own club, which AFLW club will reach this year's Grand Final?

6 – Melbourne, Brisbane
2 – Adelaide
1 – North Melbourne, Sydney, Fremantle, Richmond