AFL captains say the 2018 premiership is a race in four

The 2018 premiership is a race in four, according to the AFL club captains.

GWS is the team most likely to win the flag according to a poll of the 18 skippers, with seven captains picking the Giants.

Reigning premier Richmond and runner-up Adelaide are close behind (five votes each) with Sydney (one vote) the only other club any captain thinks can beat his club.

There was no love for Brisbane, Carlton, Fremantle, Gold Coast nor North Melbourne — they were the only clubs who no captain thinks will play finals.

But there was positive results for the Blues on another front, with no. 3 draft pick Paddy Dow tipped to win the Rising Star award.

Patrick Dangerfield is the clear favourite to win another Brownlow medal, ahead of other past winners Dustin Martin and Nathan Fyfe.

Which seven other clubs apart from your own do you think can make this year’s top eight? (18 times seven selections)

17 – Adelaide Crows, Geelong Cats, GWS Giants, Richmond, Sydney Swans
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 Crows.
1 – Sydney Swans.

Who do you think will win the 2018 Brownlow Medal?

7 – Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong Cats).
3 – Dustin Martin (Richmond).
2 – Nathan Fyfe (Fremantle).
1 – Josh Kelly (GWS Giants), Josh Kennedy (Sydney Swans), Zac Merrett (Essendon), Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn), Luke Parker (Sydney Swans), Rory Sloane (Adelaide Crows).

Who do you think will win the 2018 Coleman Medal?

12 – Lance Franklin (Sydney Swans).
3 – Josh Kennedy (West Coast).
1 – Joe Daniher (Essendon), Charlie Dixon (Port Adelaide), Tom Hawkins (Geelong Cats).

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 Lions).
1 – Aiden Bonar (GWS Giants), Nick Coffield (St Kilda), Darcy Fogarty (Adelaide Crows), Oliver Florent (Sydney Swans), Jack Graham (Richmond), Aaron Naughton (Western Bulldogs), Alex Witherden (Brisbane Lions).