AFL 2024: Every captain has their say on grand finalists, Brownlow Medal winner, Rising Star
It might be a long year for the Eagles in the win-loss column, but the AFL’s skippers are all-in on Harley Reid in 2024. See who the AFL’s best are backing for every award this season.
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It is set to be a repeat of last year’s grand final, if the captains’ opinions are anything to go by.
The annual captains’ survey has landed, with every club leader voicing their opinion on a variety of questions.
Brisbane (9 votes) and Collingwood (6) polled the most grand final berth votes, with captains predicting the 2023 grand finalists will meet again on the last Saturday of September.
Collingwood took home the premiership cup, however the Lions have been given the slight edge in the rematch, akin to the West Coast Eagles and Sydney grand finals of 2005 and 2006.
The Giants were the only other team to poll a vote in the survey, with Adam Kingsley’s men expected by three captains to make it to the final game of the season.
Curiously, despite polling the most votes to reach the grand final, one club has Brisbane missing the top eight.
Collingwood polled a maximum 17 votes (captains can’t vote for their own side) in the top-eight survey, however Brisbane was second with 16 votes.
Carlton and GWS both polled 15 votes, ahead of Melbourne and Sydney on 14.
No captain tipped Hawthorn, North Melbourne or West Coast to play finals in 2024, while Essendon, Fremantle and Richmond only polled one vote each.
Western Bulldogs captain Marcus Bontempelli was the outstanding tip for the Brownlow Medal, having gone close to winning in 2023.
The midfield star polled 10 votes; more than half of the survey votes.
Collingwood’s Nick Daicos was the only other player to poll multiple votes with two.
Carlton’s Sam Walsh and Charlie Curnow both polled a vote each, as did Adelaide’s Jordan Dawson, GWS’s Tom Green, Sydney’s Errol Gulden and Essendon’s Darcy Parish.
Curnow was also the most popular selection for the Coleman Medal, with seven captains tipping the two-time reigning winner to retain his throne.
Geelong star Jeremy Cameron and North Melbourne young gun Nick Larkey were both tipped by three captains to knock Curnow off his perch.
Cats veteran Tom Hawkins was tipped by one captain to win the award, as was St Kilda’s Max King, Richmond’s Tom Lynch, Carlton’s Harry McKay and Melbourne’s Jacob Van Rooyen.
West Coast’s Harley Reid was the most popular Rising Star prediction, polling six votes to edge out North Melbourne’s George Wardlaw on five.
Western Bulldogs midfielder Ryley Sanders polled three votes, while Roos draftee Colby McKercher secured two votes.
Melbourne’s Blake Howes, who will debut in opening round, and injured Sun Jed Walter both polled one vote each.
Brisbane earned eight votes to win the McClelland Trophy, four ahead of Melbourne, while three captains voted on Coldplay to be the grand final pre-game entertainment of choice.
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Originally published as AFL 2024: Every captain has their say on grand finalists, Brownlow Medal winner, Rising Star
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