We’re only hours away from the first bounce of the 2018 home-and-away season, and excitement is certainly in the air, especially in the Zero Hanger office.
With the opening siren so close, we’ve decided to go ahead and make some predictions ahead of what is shaping up to be one of the tightest seasons in recent memory.
Everyone was asked for their top eight, and each member of the team had to pick their premiers, their Brownlow and Coleman Medallists, Rising star award winner, wooden spoon recipient, and also envisage what the papers will and won’t say in 2018.
So here they are, Zero Hanger’s predictions for the 2018 season!
Steve
- Adelaide
- Sydney
- Richmond
- Geelong
- GWS
- Port Adelaide
- Melbourne
- Essendon
Premiers: Adelaide
Brownlow Medal: Dustin Martin (Richmond)
Coleman Medal: Lance Franklin (Sydney)
Rising Star: Alex Witherden (Brisbane)
Wooden spoon: North Melbourne
Headline you will see: Gaff comes home after Eagles slump to bottom four finish
Headline you won't see: "In terms of job security, I feel safe": Buckley
Johaan
- Adelaide
- Sydney
- GWS
- Richmond
- Melbourne
- Port Adelaide
- Geelong
- Essendon
Premiers: GWS
Brownlow Medal: Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Coleman Medal: Toby Greene (GWS)
Rising Star: Paddy Dow (Carlton)
Wooden spoon: Gold Coast
Headline you will see: Crows stumble again on game's biggest stage
Headline you won't see: Eddie falls on his own sword as Magpies CEO
Jayden
- Adelaide
- Sydney
- GWS
- Port Adelaide
- Melbourne
- Geelong
- Richmond
- Essendon
Premiers: Adelaide
Brownlow: Josh Kelly (GWS)
Coleman: John Kennedy (West Coast)
Rising Star: Nick Coffield (St.Kilda)
Wooden spoon: North Melbourne
Headline we will see: Tom Lynch rejects Gold Coast contract before bye, signs with Richmond for 2019
Headline we wont: Gaff and McGovern both re-sign with the Eagles within the first half of the season
Patrick
- Richmond
- Adelaide
- Sydney
- Melbourne
- Geelong
- Port Adelaide
- GWS
- Hawthorn
Premiers: Melbourne
Brownlow Medal: Josh Kelly (GWS)
Coleman Medal: Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong)
Rising Star: Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)
Wooden spoon: North Melbourne
Headline you will see: From smoking before training to leading the Dees to a dream finals run - Gawn leads the Dee's to a drought breaking flag
Headline you won't see: Jeff Kennett announces that the Hawks will be apart of the expansion of the AFL, playing in the inaugural game in India in 2019
Ben
- Adelaide
- Richmond
- Sydney
- Port Adelaide
- GWS
- Melbourne
- Geelong
- Essendon
Premiers: Adelaide
Brownlow Medal: Dustin Martin (Richmond)
Coleman Medal: Joe Daniher (Essendon)
Rising Star: Alex Witherden (Brisbane)
Wooden spoon: Gold Coast
Headline you will see: Ablett magnifies Geelong's reliance on Dangerwood
Headline you won't see: Lynch commits to Gold Coast rebuild
Georgie
1. Adelaide
2. GWS
3. Richmond
4. Geelong
5. Melbourne
6. Essendon
7. Port Adelaide
8. Sydney
Premiers: Adelaide
Brownlow: Zach Merrett (Essendon)
Coleman Medal: Joe Daniher (Essendon)
Rising Star: Andrew Brayshaw (Fremantle)
Wooden spoon: North Melbourne
Headline you will see: (any AFL club)…enters the race for Tom Lynch
Headline you won’t see: Richmond go back-to-back