MELBOURNE has been tipped to go back to back in the AFL Women’s competition, with 82 per cent of the opposing captains selecting the Dees to reach the rand final yet again. As part of the annual captains’ predictions, 14 of the other 17 captains chose Melbourne as the other team to reach the Season 8 Grand Final.

All 18 club representatives will descend on Marvel Stadium today to officially launch the 2023 AFL Women’s season, with each of them anonymously polled on five key questions on how they believe the season will unfold.

The questions were:

• Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the AFLW Grand Final?

• Who will in the competition best and fairest?

• Who will kick the most goals in the competition?

• Who will win the AFLW Rising Star?

• If you could recruit another player from any AFLW club who would it be?

Melbourne was the overwhelming choice to go back-to-back in Season 8, with 14 captains tipping the Dees as the other side to make the grand final. Adelaide was the only other team chosen by multiple captains with two, while Geelong and North Melbourne were the remaining two predictions.

Richmond star Monique Conti was also the favourite choice of captains when it came to the league best and fairest. The Season 7 runner-up was selected by seven captains, with North Melbourne’s Jasmine Garner (three) and Adelaide’s Anne Hatchard (two) the other popular picks.

North Melbourne recruit Kate Shierlaw (five votes) was nominated as the most likely to win the leading goalkicker, with her heir apparent at St Kilda and reigning leading goalkicker Jesse Wardlaw one of four players on two votes. The others were another former Saint and now Tiger, Caitlin Greiser, Cat Chloe Scheer and Docker Aine Tighe.

With changes to the AFLW Rising Star eligibility, Jasmine Fleming (nine games in Season 7) is now able to win the award, and she was one of three players to earn two votes. The others were Gold Coast’s Alana Gee – who was injured throughout Season 7 and is yet to debut – and Port Adelaide first-year ruck Matilda Scholz.

North Melbourne utility Garner was the most common answer when it came to recruiting a player from another AFLW club, with four captains picking the talented Roo. Melbourne skipper Kate Hore (three votes) and Sydney Swans teenager Montana Ham (two) were the other players with multiple selections.

FULL RESULTS:

Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
(Eight Captains correctly picked Melbourne in Season Seven)
14 – Melbourne
2 – Adelaide Crows
1 – Geelong Cats
1 – North Melbourne

Who will win the competition Best and Fairest?
(No Captains predicted Ally Anderson, Brisbane Lions, to win the 2022 Season Seven AFLW Best and Fairest)
7 – Monique Conti (Richmond)
3 – Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
2 – Anne Hatchard (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)
1 – Kiara Bowers (Fremantle)
1 – Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats)
1 – Maddy Prespakis (Essendon)
1 – Alyce Parker (GWS GIANTS)
1 – Bri Davey (Collingwood)

Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
(One Captain predicted Jesse Wardlaw, formerly Brisbane Lions, to kick the most goals in Season Seven)
5 – Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne)
2 – Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda)
2 – Caitlin Greiser (Richmond)
2 – Chloe Scheer (Geelong Cats)
2 – Aine Tighe (Fremantle)
1 – Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
1 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 – Ash Woodland (Port Adelaide)
1 – Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)

Who will win the NAB AFLW Rising Star?
(One Captain predicted Hannah Ewings, Port Adelaide, to win the 2022 NAB AFL Season Seven Women’s Rising Star Award)
2 – Alana Gee (Gold Coast SUNS)
2 – Jasmine Fleming (Hawthorn)
2 – Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
1 – Sarah Goodwin (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Charlie Mullins (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Mia Austin (Carlton)
1 – Amber Clarke (Essendon) 
1 – Charlotte Baskaran (Hawthorn)
1 – Zarlie Goldsworthy (GWS GIANTS)
1 – Bridie Hipwell (Hawthorn)
1 – Tess Craven (North Melbourne)
1 – Stella Reid (Richmond)
1 – Abby Bushby (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Sofia Hurley (Sydney)
1 – Charlotte Blair (Collingwood)

If you could recruit another player from any AFLW Club who would it be?
4 – Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
3 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
2 – Montana Ham (Sydney Swans)
1 – Bri Davey (Collingwood)
1 – Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne)
1 – Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
1 – Tyla Hanks (Melbourne)
1 – Mimi Hill (Carlton)
1 – Monique Conti (Richmond)
1 – Courtney Hodder (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Danielle Ponter (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Alyce Parker (GWS GIANTS)

The full survey results were polled by:
Adelaide Crows – Sarah Allan
Brisbane Lions – Bre Koenen
Carlton – Kerryn Peterson
Collingwood – Bri Davey
Essendon – Stephanie Cain
Fremantle – Hayley Miller
Geelong Cats – Meghan McDonald
Gold Coast SUNS – Tara Bohanna 
GWS GIANTS – Alicia Eva
Hawthorn – Tilly Lucas-Rodd 
Melbourne – Kate Hore 
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos – Emma Kearney 
Port Adelaide – Erin Phillips 
Richmond – Katie Brennan 
St Kilda – Hannah Priest 
Sydney Swans – Chloe Molloy 
West Coast Eagles – Emma Swanson 
Western Bulldogs – Ellie Blackburn