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Happy Christmas, AFLW fans.
Round 1 of season seven has arrived — and the hot pre-season takes and predictions are in.
Several experts from Fox Footy’s commentary team have looked into their respective AFLW crystal balls and predicted the top eight, premier, wooden spoon, competition best and fairest, leading goalkicker and Rising Star winner for the upcoming season.
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All pundits were in unison on six of the 18 teams making finals: Melbourne, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows, North Melbourne and Richmond.
Experts are tipping the Tigers, who’ve never won more than three games and finished higher than 10th in an AFLW season, to be the big bolter of season seven, with star midfielder Monique Conti a hot chance to win the competition’s best and fairest award.
“They’ll be another improver,” AFLW expert commentator Chyloe Kurdas told foxfooty.com.au.
EVERY CLUB ANALYSED: Expert verdict and predicted ladder range for every club
“Ellie McKenzie is fit and firing, they’ve brought in Grace Egan who’s elite and a good role player through the middle and wins a lot of footy by doing that. The midfield of Egan, Mackenzie and Monique Conti is really exciting for me.
“I think Bec Miller’s rise in the back-half has been outstanding and Courtney Wakefield I think is so underrated for the Tigers. She can stay at home and contest those marking contests, which allows Katie Brennan more freedom to go out into open spaces – that’s the luxury for them.
“I think the Tigers will go close to top-eight this year. They might be one of the two teams that sneak into the eight outside of the foundation clubs.”
Collingwood, Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs are the other teams pundits believe will be in the finals mix.
However only three teams are genuine premiership contenders according to Fox Footy’s experts: Brisbane, Adelaide and Melbourne, with the Lions most tipped to claim their second AFLW flag.
“There were a lot of clubs that came knocking for their players and they did a pretty good job to keep the players that they did and to not lose many. I think they’ll be right at the top again,” Kurdas said.
Of the four expansion clubs, Port Adelaide and Essendon both received one finals nomination from an expert, while Hawthorn was the overwhelming wooden spoon favourite — although Kurdas wasn’t one to pick Bec Goddard’s Hawks to finish 18th.
“They’ve got some good really good talent and some good experience on the list, which will make them competitive against the bottom-half teams,” she said.
“It’s definitely a year of experience of learning who can do what. I know that Bec Goddard is playing players in different roles than they might’ve played previously. It’ll take her probably a season to get them to really understand what they’ve got to do.
“I don’t think they’ll be the wooden spooner, but they’ll certainly be the bottom half of the draw.”
FINAL TALLIES
To play finals
8 votes (out of 8) — Melbourne, Brisbane Lions, Adelaide Crows, North Melbourne, Richmond
7 — Collingwood
6 — Fremantle
5 — Western Bulldogs
1 — Geelong Cats, Fremantle, Essendon, Carlton, St Kilda, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast Suns
Premiers
4 votes — Brisbane Lions
3 — Melbourne
1 — Adelaide Crows
Wooden Spoon
5 votes — Hawthorn
3 — West Coast Eagles
AFLW best and fairest
2 votes — Monique Conti (Richmond), Emily Bates (Brisbane Lions)
1 — Tyla Hanks (Melbourne), Alyce Parker (GWS Giants), Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs), Anne Hatchard (Adelaide Crows)
Leading goalkicker
3 votes — Tayla Harris (Melbourne), Katie Brennan (Richmond)
1 — Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions), Kate Hore (Melbourne)
Rising Star
3 votes — Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
2 — Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles), Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
1 — Zimmorlei Farquharson (Brisbane Lions)
FOX FOOTY CRYSTAL BALL: EXPERTS’ FULL 2022 AFLW PREDICTIONS
CHYLOE KURDAS
Top 8
1. Melbourne
2. Adelaide Crows
3. Brisbane Lions
4. Collingwood
5. Fremantle
6. North Melbourne
7. Richmond
8. Western Bulldogs
Premiers: Melbourne
Wooden Spoon: West Coast Eagles
AFLW best and fairest: Emily Bates (Brisbane Lions)
Leading goalkicker: Katie Brennan (Richmond)
Rising Star: Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
NIKKI HARWOOD
Top 8
1. Melbourne
2. Brisbane
3. Adelaide Crows
4. North Melbourne
5. Collingwood
6. Richmond
7. Western Bulldogs
8. Geelong Cats
Premiers: Adelaide Crows
Wooden Spoon: Hawthorn
AFLW best and fairest: Monique Conti (Richmond)
Leading goalkicker: Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
Rising Star: Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
ISABELLA LEEMBRUGGEN
Top 8
Brisbane Lions
Adelaide Crows
Melbourne
Collingwood
North Melbourne
Fremantle
Essendon
Richmond
Premiers: Brisbane Lions
Wooden Spoon: Hawthorn
AFLW best and fairest: Emily Bates (Brisbane Lions)
Leading goalkicker: Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
Rising Star: Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
LEIGH MONTAGNA
Top 8
1. Brisbane Lions
2. Melbourne
3. Adelaide Crows
4. Fremantle
5. North Melbourne
6. Collingwood
7. Richmond
8. Carlton
Premiers: Brisbane Lions
Wooden spoon: Hawthorn
AFLW best and fairest: Tyla Hanks (Melbourne)
Leading goalkicker: Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
Rising Star: Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
ALEX SAUNDRY
Top 8
1. Melbourne
2. Brisbane Lions
3. Adelaide Crows
4. North Melbourne
5. Collingwood
6. St Kilda
7. Richmond
8. Fremantle
Premiers: Melbourne
Wooden Spoon: West Coast Eagles
AFLW best and fairest: Alyce Parker (GWS Giants)
Leading goalkicker: Katie Brennan (Richmond)
Rising Star: Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
KELLI UNDERWOOD
Top 8
1. Melbourne
2. Brisbane Lions
3. Western Bulldogs
4. Adelaide Crows
5. North Melbourne
6. Richmond
7. Port Adelaide
8. Gold Coast Suns
Premiers: Melbourne
Wooden spoon: Hawthorn
AFLW best and fairest: Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs)
Leading goal kicker: Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
Rising Star: Zimmorlei Farquharson (Brisbane Lions)
BEN WATERWORTH
Top 8
1. Brisbane Lions
2. Melbourne
3. Adelaide Crows
4. Collingwood
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Richmond
7. Fremantle
8. North Melbourne
Premiers: Brisbane Lions
Wooden spoon: West Coast Eagles
AFLW best and fairest: Anne Hatchard (Adelaide Crows)
Leading goalkicker: Katie Brennan (Richmond)
Rising Star: Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
JESS WEBSTER
Top 8
1. Melbourne
2. Brisbane Lions
3. Adelaide Crows
4. North Melbourne
5. Collingwood
6. Fremantle
7. Western Bulldogs
8. Richmond
Premiers: Brisbane Lions
Wooden spoon: Hawthorn
AFLW best and fairest: Monique Conti (Richmond)
Leading goalkicker: Kate Hore (Melbourne)
Rising Star: Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
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