Despite taking home the wooden spoon last season, Brisbane are expected to step up big time in 2018, with the players believing the Lions will make the biggest jump of any side this year.
In AFL.com.au's annual Players' Top 50 poll, 16% of players predicted Brisbane's jump up the table would be the biggest, although it wasn't as one-sided as Saturday's poll regarding which teams would fall the hardest.
Chris Fagan's side were selected ahead of Essendon (12%) and Port Adelaide (11%), while Carlton, Melbourne and the Gold Coast all gathered (9%) of the votes each.
2017 at times was a tough year for Brisbane, who began the season 0-9 before picking up four wins in their final 12 games.
With the additions of Charlie Cameron and Luke Hodge, the Lions have added some class and leadership to their line-up, and will be hoping to build on last season's output and continue Fagan's rebuild the right way.
With West Coast predicted to fall hard in Saturday's poll, that could leave a spot open for the Demons, who famously narrowly missed out on a finals berth last season.
After falling to the Pies in the final round, it was the Eagles who beat Adelaide and knocked Melbourne out of eighth, although the Demons could get their revenge this season with the players tipping Melbourne to play in their first finals series since 2006.
The players believe the Bombers and Power will become real top four threats this season, while suggesting the Blues and Suns could pull themselves outside the bottom four.
