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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The questions were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Richmond star Monique Conti<\/a> 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<\/a> (three) and Adelaide’s Anne Hatchard<\/a> (two) the other popular picks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n North Melbourne recruit Kate Shierlaw<\/a> (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<\/a> one of four players on two votes. The others were another former Saint and now Tiger, Caitlin Greiser<\/a>, Cat Chloe Scheer<\/a> and Docker Aine Tighe<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With changes to the AFLW Rising Star eligibility, Jasmine Fleming<\/a> (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<\/a> – who was injured throughout Season 7 and is yet to debut – and Port Adelaide first-year ruck Matilda Scholz<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a> (three votes) and Sydney Swans teenager Montana Ham<\/a> (two) were the other players with multiple selections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Which team aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?<\/strong> Who will win the competition Best and Fairest?<\/strong> Who will kick the most goals in the competition?<\/strong> Who will win the NAB AFLW Rising Star?<\/strong> If you could recruit another player from any AFLW Club who would it be?<\/strong> The full survey results were polled by:<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\nFULL RESULTS:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
(Eight Captains correctly picked Melbourne in Season Seven)
14 \u2013 Melbourne
2 \u2013 Adelaide Crows
1 \u2013 Geelong Cats
1 \u2013 North Melbourne<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(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)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(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 \u2013 Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
1 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 – Ash Woodland (Port Adelaide)
1 – Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
(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)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Adelaide Crows \u2013 Sarah Allan
Brisbane Lions \u2013 Bre Koenen
Carlton \u2013 Kerryn Peterson
Collingwood \u2013 Bri Davey
Essendon \u2013 Stephanie Cain
Fremantle \u2013 Hayley Miller
Geelong Cats \u2013 Meghan McDonald
Gold Coast SUNS \u2013 Tara Bohanna
GWS GIANTS \u2013 Alicia Eva
Hawthorn \u2013 Tilly Lucas-Rodd
Melbourne \u2013 Kate Hore
North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos \u2013 Emma Kearney
Port Adelaide \u2013 Erin Phillips
Richmond \u2013 Katie Brennan
St Kilda \u2013 Hannah Priest
Sydney Swans \u2013 Chloe Molloy
West Coast Eagles \u2013 Emma Swanson
Western Bulldogs \u2013 Ellie Blackburn<\/p>\n\n\n\n