AFL captains back GWS for Grand Final, Sydney for finals and Lance Franklin for Coleman Medal
SYDNEY’S AFL teams are in for a good 2018 if the annual captain’s survey is any guide while Lance Franklin has been backed to win the Coleman Medal. See the results here.
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SYDNEY’S AFL teams are in for a good 2018 if the annual captain’s survey is any guide.
GWS were nominated as the team most likely to make the grand final and the Swans almost certainties to play finals for the ninth straight season and the 20th time in the last 23 seasons.
Throw in Lance Franklin as the raging favourite to take out his fifth Coleman Medal and things are looking rosy in the harbour city — if the skippers know their stuff.
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The onfield leaders are bucking a recent trend which has seen experts have cooled on the Giants’ premiership chances after consecutive preliminary final.
In a tightly run race the skippers picked GWS as the most likely grand finalist scoring seven votes, two ahead of last year’s participants Richmond and Adelaide on five votes. The Swans were picked by only one captain.
GWS coach Leon Cameron has had a challenging six months which has seen injuries and departures reap havoc with his list.
Shane Mumford retired due to a foot injury, Steve Johnson hung up the boots and Nathan Wilson and Devon Smith moved to Fremantle and Essendon respectively.
Throw in season ending injuries to Will Setterfield and Zac Williams and he had some big hurdles to overcome.
Fortunately he’s found answers to almost all those questions. Rory Lobb looks the man most likely to replace Mumford in the ruck but he has competition from Dawson Simpson and Matthew Flynn.
Lachie Whitfield has been a revelation at half-back during the off season and the emergence of Harry Himmelberg up forward is giving the Giants a triple threat with Jeremy Cameron and Jonathon Patton.
“All three can play there (Forward),” Cameron said.
“They have to apply a lot of pressure at ground level if we are to play the three of them there. Jeremy and Harry are more your hybrid forwards than tall forwards and with their leg speed they can apply the pressure we need in our front half of the ground.”
One of the big surprise packets has been tall defender Jeremy Finlayson who has gone to another level in the pre-season with his dynamic play in the backline.
“We’ve seen a lot of upside from Jeremy in the JLT matches and he’s had a really good pre-season,” Cameron said.
“The guys are really confident he can hold down a position in the back seven. It will be a good decision but no doubt he has his foot in the front door and hopefully he can go on with it.”
AFL CAPTAINS POLL
Which seven other clubs apart from your own do you think can make this year’s top eight?
17 - Adelaide Crows, Geelong Cats, GWS Giants, Richmond, Sydney
14 - Port Adelaide
10 - Melbourne
5 - Hawthorn
4 - Essendon, West Coast
2 - Western Bulldogs
1 - Collingwood, St Kilda
Which other club apart from your own is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
7 - GWS Giants
5 - Richmond, Adelaide
1 - Sydney
Who do you think will win the 2018 Brownlow Medal?
7 - Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
3 - Dustin Martin (Richmond)
2 - Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle)
1 - Josh Kelly (GWS Giants), Josh Kennedy (Sydney), Zac Merrett (Essendon), Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn), Luke Parker (Sydney), Rory Sloane (Adelaide)
Who do you think will win the 2018 Coleman Medal?
12 - Lance Franklin (Sydney)
3 - Josh Kennedy (West Coast)
1 - Joe Daniher (Essendon), Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide), Tom Hawkins (Geelong)
Who do you think will win the 2018 NAB AFL Rising Star?
4 - Paddy Dow (Carlton)
3 - Luke Davies-Uniacke (North Melbourne)
2 - Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle), Cam Rayner (Brisbane)
1 - Aiden Bonar (GWS Giants), Nick Coffield (St Kilda), Darcy Fogarty (Adelaide), Oliver Florent (Sydney), Jack Graham (Richmond), Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs), Alex Witherden (Brisbane)