The Crows will make the top eight and Patrick Dangerfield and Taylor Walker will feature prominently in the game’s highest individual awards, according to the AFL captains.
In the League’s annual poll, the 18 club captains were asked for their views on the upcoming 2013 Toyota AFL Premiership Season. Each skipper was asked to tip the 2013 finalists, Grand Finalists, Brownlow Medalist, Coleman Medalist and NAB Rising Star winner.
Four captains tipped Walker to claim his first Coleman Medal. Hawthorn star Lance Franklin was the overwhelming favourite (eight votes) to top the competition’s goalkicking.
Dangerfield was nominated as a Brownlow Medal fancy. The explosive Crow, who finished seventh in the Brownlow count last season, received three votes from the captains – the same number as 2010 Brownlow Medalist and Gold Coast skipper Gary Ablett. New Richmond captain Trent Cotchin (six votes) was the favourite to take Charlie home in 2013.
When asked to nominate which teams (other than their own) would contest the 2013 finals series, 14 of the 17 captains selected Adelaide to make the eight. Each of the captains tipped reigning premiers the Sydney Swans to play finals. Collingwood, Hawthorn and West Coast each received 16 nominations. The captains have proved good judges of finals fancies, correctly nominating seven of last year’s top eight (Sydney, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Collingwood, Fremantle, West Coast and Geelong).
The skippers think the Grand Final will be played between the Eagles and Hawks, who each received seven nominations to make it to the last Saturday in September.
Untried Gold Coast midfielder Jaeger O’Meara (nine votes) was the hot tip to take out the 2013 NAB Rising Star. Not one skipper backed eventual winner Daniel Talia to receive the nod last year.
The full voting was:
Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight? (18 times seven selections. In 2012, the captains correctly nominated Sydney, Hawthorn, the Adelaide Crows, Collingwood, Fremantle, West Coast and the Geelong Cats to play finals, but missed North Melbourne)
Sydney Swans (17), Collingwood (16), Hawthorn (16), West Coast (16), Fremantle (15), Geelong (15), Adelaide Crows (14), Carlton (11), Essendon (2), North Melbourne (2), Richmond (2).
Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final? (Captains overwhelmingly endorsed Grand Finalist Hawthorn in 2012, but no captain picked eventual premier the Sydney Swans).
Hawthorn (7), West Coast (7), Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney Swans.
Who do you think will win the 2013 Brownlow Medal? (No captain correctly nominated Jobe Watson in 2012).
Trent Cotchin (6), Gary Ablett (3), Patrick Dangerfield (3), Josh Kennedy (2), Sam Mitchell, Scott Pendlebury, Joel Selwood, Dane Swan.
Who do you think will win the 2013 Coleman Medal? (Two Captains correctly nominated Jack Riewoldt in 2012).
Lance Franklin (8), Taylor Walker (4), Jack Riewoldt (3), Tom Hawkins (2), Drew Petrie.
Who do you think will win the 2013 NAB AFL Rising Star? (No captain correctly nominated Daniel Talia in 2012)
Jaeger O’Meara (9), Lachie Whitfield (2), Ollie Wines (2), Brandon Hill, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jono O’Rourke, Jake Stringer, Jack Viney.
