AFLW 2020 captains survey: Who will win premership, best-and-fairest, rising star?

Just two of the 14 AFLW captains are tipping Adelaide to win back-to-back flags. One is backing upstart Richmond but the weight of numbers is behind another Melbourne club.

North Melbourne is the overwhelming favourite to claim this year’s AFL Women’s premiership, according to the game’s captains.

Just days out from the first game of the season, the Kangaroos’ depth has been lauded by the skippers at today’s AFLW season launch, with a Herald Sun survey of club captains revealing that the Roos’ skipper Emma Kearney is a popular tip to collect a second league best-and-fairest award in 2020.

But a young Saint is tipped be the competition’s Rising Star.

Check out what all the captains think.

IF YOU DON’T WIN THE PREMIERSHIP, WHO WILL?

Katie Loynes (Carlton): North Melbourne. We played them in the practice match and they were fierce. That first quarter, it’s pretty scary. If they put four quarters together like that, I think they’re going to be unstoppable.

Rhiannon Watt (St Kilda): North Melbourne.

Ellie Blackburn (WB): North Melbourne. Obviously the likes of Emma Kearney and Jenna Bruton in their midfield – they’re two powerhouse midfielders that are driving them. They’ve got a quality ruck in Emma King and Jas Garner is flying at the moment and is a little bit underrated.

Daisy Pearce (Melb): North Melbourne.

Emma Zielke (Brisbane): North Melbourne are looking pretty strong this year.

Emma Swanson (WCE): I’d say Melbourne first and then Adelaide closely following.

Kara Antonio (Fremantle): Adelaide. They’re a pretty well-oiled unit. They’re very structured and are a good team.

Melissa Hickey (Geelong): North Melbourne.

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Daria Bannister and the Kangaroos will be hard to beat this season.

Emma Kearney (North Melbourne): Adelaide. They’ll build at the right time of the year with Erin Phillips coming back later on and they’ve got both a great culture and great players across the board.

Katie Brennan (Richmond): Melbourne will probably go close this year. They’ve lost a few players for the initial stages of the season but ... you look at Richmond of last year and the fact they lost some players early on and they had some hardships but came back and won the flag. I feel like Melbourne has been up there for the last couple of years and with the return of Daisy Pearce, I reckon they’ll go close.

Steph Chiocci (Collingwood): North Melbourne. Their list is healthy and we played them in some match sim a few weeks ago and they’re really well drilled, had the lost together for over a year - continuity is really important - and I think they’ll go very far.

Alicia Eva (GWS): North Melbourne.

Chelsea Randall (Adelaide): Richmond. They’ve got quite a few handy players on their list and coming new into the competition, it’s hard to know where those teams sit. I think they’ll be really good this year.

Leah Kaslar (Gold Coast): Melbourne.

WHO WILL WIN THE LEAGUE BEST-AND-FAIREST AWARD?

KL: Anne Hatchard (Adelaide). I thought what she was able to put into her game last year was huge and she’s just going to develop more and more. I’ve been seeing some videos and she just looks so fierce and fit.

RW: Emma Kearney (NM). She’s just so consistent and such a strong performer.

EB: Emma Kearney (NM). Especially if North have a solid year.

DP: Monique Conti (Richmond)

EZ: Emma Kearney (NM). I saw a photo of her the other day and she just looks so strong.

ES: Kiara Bowers (Fremantle)

KA: Kiara Bowers (Fremantle). Gun.

MH: Karen Paxman (Melbourne)

EK: I don’t want to jinx her but I’m going to say Jas Garner. She’s playing more midfield for North this year and she’s just an unbelievable athlete and her ability to kick goals will attract the attention of the umpires.

KB: Two players come to mind — ‘Dais’ (Daisy Pearce) will go close. Having played with her in the Darebin years, she hits the ground running coming back from injury or pregnancy so I think she’ll have a cracking season. I also think Bri Davey (Collingwood) will go close as well. Maybe a tie for those two.

Daisy Pearce in action during a Demons practice match. Picture: Alex Coppel

SC: That’s a tricky one. If Jas Garner goes through the midfield she’ll catch the eye of the umpires because she can kick goals as well. It’s also hard to go past Emma Kearney — I sound like I’m a North Melbourne fan — or Kiara Bowers from Fremantle.

AE: Dana Hooker (West Coast)

CR: Daisy Pearce (Melbourne)

LK: Kiara Bowers (Fremantle)

WHO WILL WIN THE RISING STAR?

KL: Lucy McEvoy (Carlton)

RW: Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda)

DP: Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda)

EB: Elizabeth Georgiostathis (WB). She’s a bit of a livewire and I think she’ll excite a lot of people.

EZ: Lily Postlethwaite (Bris).

ES: Lucy McEvoy (Carlton)

KA: Roxy Roux (Fremantle). She’s really impressed me this off-season. Hopefully the rest of the nation gets to see what we know she’s capable of doing.

Georgia Patrikios is an exciting prospect for the Saints. Picture: Micheal Klein

MH: Denby Taylor (Geelong). She’s got some of the most elite skills I’ve ever seen.

EK: I’m going to go for Georgia Patrikios from St Kilda. She’s absolute silk, I’m looking forward to watching her play.

KB: Sophie Molan (Richmond). She’s a bit of a wildcard — she’s just a really great talent, a great runner and I think an up and coming midfield star. She’ll poll pretty well.

AE: Gabby Newton (WB)

SC: Georgia Patrikios (St Kilda). Really polished footballer with good skills on the inside and outside.

LK: Lucy McEvoy (Carlton) and Serene Watson from the Suns is showing a lot of promise.

WHO WILL BE THE LEAGUE’S LEADING GOALKICKER?

KL: Apart from Darc (Vescio), Tay (Harris) or Nic Stevens, Katie Brennan (Richmond)

RW: Kate Shierlaw (St Kilda)

EB: Stevie-Lee Thompson (Adelaide) to go back-to-back.

DP: Tegan Cunningham (Melbourne)

EZ: Jess Wuetschner (Brisbane)

ES: Katie Brennan (Richmond)

KA: Stevie-Lee Thompson (Adelaide). Again. She’s a dynamic forward and gets on the end of a few, so if Adelaide can get it down there, she’ll do that no doubt.

Katie Brennan is expected to play up forward and through the midfield.

MH: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne).

EK: Kirsten McLeod from the Bulldogs. I’ve heard some good things — she’s had an injury-free pre-season and flying at the moment.

KB: Brooke Lochland might pop back up and kick a few this year. They’ve got some young girls at the Bulldogs in the forward line and hopefully she might be able to get a run on and kick a few running goals.

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SC: Very hard to pick because I actually think it will be a goalkicking midfielder. I wouldn’t be surprised if Jaimee Lambert pops up or if not, Brooke Lochland from the Bulldogs.

AE: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne). The standout forward of the competition.

CR: Danielle Ponter (Adelaide). She’s an absolute gem and she was just getting started last year.

LK: Stevie-Lee Thompson (Adelaide). Will be really good again, but also Brooke Lochland (Western Bulldogs).

Originally published as AFLW 2020 captains survey: Who will win premership, best-and-fairest, rising star?