AFL captains’ scathing prediction for two clubs

The annual AFL Captains Poll is out and there are two bolters tipped to return to finals footy — but the survey is ugly reading for two clubs.

The Saints won’t save Brett Ratten’s bacon. AAP Image/Scott Barbour.

AFL captains have given a scathing verdict on the hopes of St Kilda and West Coast playing finals football in 2022.

The results of the AFL’s annual captain’s poll is ugly readying for the Saints and Eagles — after both clubs narrowly missed out on a spot in the finals last year.

The 18 captains have also put a line through North Melbourne, Collingwood, Gold Coast, Adelaide and Hawthorn as finals contenders.

The verdict on the two clubs was just one of several surprising results, with the captains’ also showing huge support for the Tigers to jump up the ladder in 2022 — and for Carlton to end the club’s finals drought.

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According to the survey announced by the AFL on Wednesday, just one captain believes St Kilda will finish inside the top eight teams, while no rival captain believes West Coast will play finals — despite finishing just one win behind eighth-placed team Essendon last year.

It comes after a nightmare pre-season for the Eagles, which saw former player Xavier Ellis declare last month the club must consider re-building their roster through the draft.

The Eagles are heading into the opening round of the season with as many as eight players missing from the club’s best 22 — headlined by the vaccine stand-off surrounding Jack Darling.

Eagles players are looking at a long year ahead. AAP Image/Dave Hunt.

West Coast has been ravaged by injury throughout the pre-season with Luke Shuey, Jamie Cripps and Oscar Allen all sidelined. Meanwhile, Brad Sheppard was forced into retirement due to concussion issues.

It reached crisis levels when they were humiliated by cross-town rivals Fremantle by 97 points while suffering serious injuries to stars Dom Sheed, Elliot Yeo and Campbell Chesser.

It is easy to understand why AFL captains have put a line through them — but their assessment of St Kilda is mush more brutal.

After loading up in recent AFL Trade periods to snatch a string of top-line players, including Brad Hill and Brad Couch, the pressure was on coach Brett Ratten to lead the club to the finals last year, having broken a finals drought in 2020.

Instead the club had a dismal start to the season before winning five of its final nine games to finish the season 10-12.

Ratten is out of contract at the end of this season and has repeatedly been asked about the pressure on his shoulders.

The Saints won’t save Brett Ratten’s bacon. AAP Image/Scott Barbour.

Despite AFL captains writing his team off, Ratten said last month he is optimistic about the season ahead.

The improvement will come from the disappointment last year,” he told The Herald Sun in February.

“There were some individuals who had some pretty good years in 2020 but weren’t to the level that they would like to be last year. So some of the disappointment from the players, I think that will be burning in their stomachs, they want to play finals footy and they want to be back to the player they were.”

He said “there won’t be any rush” when it comes to his contract negotiations.

The AFL captains were much more optimistic about Richmond returning to play finals football in 2022 with 13 of the 18 captains predicting the club will play finals.

Five captains also believe Carlton will make a significant jump up the ladder to play finals this season.

AFL Captains’ Poll 2022 full results

Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year’s top eight?

17 – Brisbane Lions, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs,

16 – Port Adelaide

13 – Richmond, Geelong Cats

11 – Sydney Swans

9 – GWS Giants

5 – Essendon, Carlton

2 – Fremantle

1 – St Kilda

Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?

6 – Melbourne

5 – Brisbane Lions

3 – Western Bulldogs

2 – Richmond

2 – Port Adelaide

Which player from another club do you think will win the 2022 Brownlow Medal?

8 – Marcus Bontempelli, Western Bulldogs

4 – Clayton Oliver, Melbourne

2 – Patrick Cripps, Carlton

2 – Josh Kelly, GWS Giants

1 – Christian Petracca, Melbourne

1 – Lachie Neale, Brisbane Lions

Which player from another club do you think will win the 2022 Coleman Medal?

6 – Harry McKay, Carlton

4 – Jeremy Cameron, Geelong Cats

3 – Tom Hawkins, Geelong Cats

3 – Aaron Naughton, Western Bulldogs

1 – Max King, St Kilda

1 – Lance Franklin, Sydney Swans

Which player from another club do you think will win the 2022 NAB AFL Rising Star?

7 – Jason Horne-Francis, North Melbourne

5 – Nick Daicos, Collingwood

2 – Josh Rachele, Adelaide Crows

1 – Logan McDonald, Sydney Swans

1 – Finn Callaghan, GWS Giants

1 – Jamarra Ugle-Hagan, Western Bulldogs

1 – Josh Ward, Hawthorn