The AFL captains' votes for the 2023 season are in, with Geelong backed to make successive grand final finishes while a Demons star is the favourite to take out the Brownlow Medal.

Each year, ahead of Round 1, all 18 AFL captains cast their votes for several key questions for the season ahead, including grand finalists, Brownlow medallists, Rising Star winners and more.

Almost half of this year's crop have backed the Cats to go back-to-back in making the 2023 grand final, with eight captains tipping Geelong to play in the last Saturday of September - coming against their own club.

Four captains tipped both Brisbane and Melbourne to reach the season decider, while the Swans and Tigers also landed a vote each.

Despite Geelong receiving the most votes for a grand final finish, the Lions were the only club to be unanimously backed to make the top eight, earning a perfect 17 votes.

Geelong and Richmond narrowly trailed with one less vote, while North Melbourne, Hawthorn, GWS, West Coast and Essendon were the only clubs not to receive a vote for a top-eight finish.

Five captains voted for Melbourne's Clayton Oliver to take out the Brownlow Medal, with Brisbane's Lachie Neale and Fremantle's Andrew Brayshaw (3 votes each) coming in joint second.

Cat Jeremy Cameron and Tiger Tom Lynch couldn't be split for the Coleman Medal, earning six votes each, while Brisbane young gun Will Ashcroft was backed by eight captains to win the Rising Star Award, with a total of 10 players landing votes.

Much like their AFL counterparts, the Lions and Demons are seen to be the top contenders for the 2023 AFLW premiership, earning six votes each from the captains.

Here's the full breakdown of the AFL captains' votes for 2023...

17 – Brisbane Lions
16 – Geelong Cats, Richmond
15 – Sydney Swans, Melbourne
12 – Fremantle
11 – Collingwood
9 – Carlton
6 – Western Bulldogs
5 – Port Adelaide
2 – Gold Coast SUNS
1 – St Kilda, Adelaide Crows

Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
(No captains picked eventual premier Geelong in 2022).
8 – Geelong Cats
4 – Melbourne, Brisbane Lions
1 – Richmond, Sydney Swans

Which player from another club do you think will win the 2023 Brownlow Medal?
(Two captains correctly nominated Patrick Cripps in 2022).
5 – Clayton Oliver, Melbourne
3 – Andrew Brayshaw, Fremantle; Lachie Neale, Brisbane Lions,
2 – Marcus Bontempelli, Western Bulldogs; Touk Miller, Gold Coast SUNS,
1 – Patrick Cripps, Carlton; Christian Petracca, Melbourne; Callum Mills, Sydney Swans

Which player from another club do you think will win the 2023 Coleman Medal?
(No captain nominated eventual Coleman Medalist Charlie Curnow in 2022).
6 – Jeremy Cameron, Geelong Cats, Tom Lynch, Richmond
1 – Nat Fyfe, Fremantle; Harry McKay, Carlton; Jack Gunston, Brisbane Lions; Tom Hawkins, Geelong Cats; Charlie Curnow, Carlton; Aaron Naughton, Western Bulldogs

Which player from another club do you think will win the 2023 AFL Rising Star?
(Five captains nominated eventual Ron Evans Medalist Nick Daicos in 2022).
8 – Will Ashcroft, Brisbane Lions
2 – Sam Darcy, Western Bulldogs
1 – Aaron Cadman, GWS Giants; Jai Culley, West Coast Eagles; Finn Callaghan, GWS Giants; Cameron Mackenzie, Hawthorn; Reuben Ginbey, West Coast Eagles; Harry Sheezel, North Melbourne; Judd McVee, Melbourne; Mattaes Phillipou, St Kilda

Other than your own club, which AFLW club will reach this year's Grand Final?
6 – Melbourne, Brisbane Lions
2 – Adelaide Crows
1 – North Melbourne, Sydney Swans, Fremantle, Richmond