We are now just days away from practice matches kicking off, meaning the start of the 2023 AFL season is just around the corner.
After a thrilling 2022 season saw Geelong awarded the premiership cup, Patrick Cripps claim the Brownlow Medal and Nick Daicos earn the Rising Star award after a stellar debut season, we've picked our choices for those very same awards in 2023.
In addition to the big awards, in the final instalment of the series we've named some of the stories set to feature this season too.
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Fearless Predictions 50-41
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Fearless Predictions 20-11
10. Brisbane do one better in 2023 to earn grand final appearance
The Lions finished in sixth position on the ladder in 2022, fighting their way through September to make a preliminary final, where they were were soundly defeated by the eventual premiers Geelong to the tune of 71-points. In 2021, after finishing in 4th position, the Lions were knocked out in the semi-finals after a one-point loss to the Bulldogs. While in 2020, Brisbane once again couldn't get past their prelim final roadblock.
This year, the Lions have the injection of Josh Dunkley, Jack Gunston and Will Ashcroft to help them take that elusive additional step to the final game of the season, while a new home training base at Springfield is another ace up the Lions' sleeve.
9. North Melbourne struggle for wins as May dawns
Despite the recruitment of Alastair Clarkson, a four-time premiership coach at Hawthorn, North Melbourne are still in for a long season as their rebuild finds its feet under their new coach.
While the Roos have shown some improvement so far this pre-season, with fans able to get a better look once practice matches kick off, the kind of development needed to lift North from a two-win team in 2022 to a competitive outfit this season doesn't happen overnight.
North face West Coast up first to kick off their season, but should they fail to earn the four points at Marvel, may find themselves without a win beyond the first month of the season.
8. Pies go cold after sensational 2022
Collingwood produced an entertaining season in 2022, winning countless thrillers to finish the home and away season in fourth spot. The Pies' season eventually came to a close in the preliminary finals, suffering a heartbreaking one-point defeat to the Swans at the MCG.
While plenty of pundits attributed Collingwood's fortunes to luck, it is hard to rely just on just good fortune to rise from a 17th spot finish on the ladder in 2021. But heading into Craig McRae's sophomore season, the Pies will face a more difficult fixture compared to 2022 and despite some new recruits, will find it hard to hold onto that top four spot they claimed last year.
7. Hawthorn's list cull proves to be the right call
The Hawks lost a combined 1181 games of experience following the 2022 season, with the likes of Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O'Meara, Jack Gunston, Ben McEvoy, Liam Shiels and Kyle Hartigan heading for the exits at Waverley Park.
Hawthorn will struggle with such a young list still finding their feet, but as the season wears on and pieces start to click, it will prove to be the right decision by Sam Mitchell and his team to go hard on their list call. While their spot on the ladder come Round 24 may not be envied by many, there will be clear improvement surrounding the Hawks, and a little more anticipation around their upwards trajectory.
6. Interim coach in place by conclusion of mid-season byes
Heading into the 2023 season, we have four coaches at the helm that weren't there in 2022. Master coach Alastair Clarkson has taken the reins at Arden Street, former North coach Brad Scott has moved to the Bombers, Ross Lyon is back at the Saints, while Adam Kingsley has earned his first senior coaching gig at the Giants.
Despite plenty of off-season chatter around coaching departures and appointments, there's never a year where that doesn't carry into the actual season. While plenty of attention will be focused on those incoming coaches, there's a few coaches who will also command attention should their respective seasons not get off to the right start.
Ken Hinkley and Luke Beveridge are two notable names who could find themselves under pressure, with the Power keen to see Hinkley bring some success to Alberton after years at the club. While Beveridge and the Dogs recently came to terms on a new deal that saw the 2016 premiership coach sign on until at least the end of 2025, which in an interesting turn of events, may end up putting more pressure on the coach should the Bulldogs not deliver.
Brendon Lade joined the Dogs in the off-season after missing out on the Essendon coaching gig, bringing years of experience as an assistant around the league to the Kennel. Having experience replacing coaches after stepping in for Brett Ratten for a game in 2022, could we see Lade as interim Bulldogs coach before season's end?
5. Nick Daicos earns All Australian in second season
There's no doubt that Nick Daicos announced himself to the competition in a big way in his debut season, playing all matches after his Round 1 debut, averaging 25.8 disposals per game to earn the Rising Star award after polling the maximum amount of votes.
With his debut year and an impressive pre-season under his belt, Daicos is primed to continue on his way to becoming a star of the competition. At just 20, Daicos still has plenty of years to get better, but 2023 is the year he makes the leap from one of the best young players in the competition, to one of the best players in the competition with an inclusion in the All Australian squad looming.
4. Tom Lynch wins maiden Coleman Medal
As Richmond gears up for a big year after some key off-season inclusions, their dominant forward line looks as good as ever. Lynch, who was Richmond's leading goalkicker in 2019 and 2022, looks primed to have another electric year in front of goal after a strong pre-season recovering from injury.
Lynch underwent foot surgery late in 2022, but looks on track to be fit and firing in Round 1, potentially ready to go one better in 2023 after a second place finish in the Coleman standings last season. Forming a formidable pairing in the forward line with Jack Riewoldt since his move from the Suns, Tigers fans should expect plenty more this season, with the pair combining for 103 goals in 2022.
3. Dominant rookie Will Ashcroft earns Rising Star Award
Will Ashcroft enters the his debut season with plenty of expectations upon his shoulders. The Lions father-son pick joins the club after a highly publicised draft year in which he was rated as not only the best young midfielder in the draft, but player, eventually heading to the den as the second selection.
The son of Marcus, a Lions premiership player in 2001, 2002 and 2003, Ashcroft has continued to impress in his first pre-season with the Lions, booting two goals in the club's intra-club hitout. The 18-year-old is firming for a Round 1 debut and heading into the season, looms as the likely Rising Star recipient.
2. Suns skipper claims maiden Brownlow Medal
After a third place finish in last year's Brownlow Medal and continuing to get better season after season, there's no doubt that Gold Coast captain Touk Miller is in line to claim the Brownlow this year. Having earned All Australian selection in both 2021 and 2022, averaging 28.5 disposals, 6 tackles and 7.9 clearances per his 22 games last season, if Miller can replicate that form again in 2023, the Brownlow Medal will be within reach.
Despite suffering a mild hamstring injury in the pre-season, Miller is still expected to be right for Round 1. The 26-year-old has had a pretty good run with injuries in recent times, having not missed a home and away game since 2019, leading to an incredibly consistent run of form.
1. Melbourne claim premiership cup
The Demons won a drought breaking premiership in 2021, then won their opening 13 games of the season to defend it, before their momentum hit some roadblocks in the second half of the year. Despite not claiming the minor premiership, or the actual flag, the Demons still were one of the best teams in the competition last season, and will continue to be this season.
The way in which Melbourne exited finals in 2022 seemed to blind people to the reality that they are an incredibly good football team. Off-season inclusions include the experienced Brodie Grundy, Lachie Hunter and Josh Schache, with Grundy in particular shaping as a dynamic pair with Demons skipper Max Gawn.
Melbourne play Brisbane, Carlton, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Richmond and Sydney twice this season, after experiencing a rather difficult fixture in 2022 as the reigning premiers, but have the talent and the finals experience to go all the way once again in 2023.
