The finding was part of an annual AFL Coaches' Association survey, which was conducted by AFL Media and published on AFL.com.au and in the AFL Record.

Seventy-seven per cent of the coaches said the SUNS onballer was a better player than his old man.

Ablett was also the overwhelming tip to win this year's Brownlow Medal, with 87 per cent of respondents tipping him to take 'Charlie' home for the third time.

The coaches believed only one other player – Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury – would win the Brownlow.

However, when the coaches were asked to name who they would recruit if given the power to take one player from an opposition club, Geelong skipper Joel Selwood was the top pick.

Around a quarter of the coaches nominated Selwood, while Fremantle's Nat Fyfe (13 per cent) and Adelaide's Patrick Dangerfield (13 per cent) were others to gain a mention. 

The coaches listed only five clubs – the Sydney Swans, Fremantle, Collingwood, Geelong and Hawthorn – as being in contention to win the 2014 premiership.

More than 30 per cent of the respondents nominated the Swans as their tip to win the flag, while 27 per cent went for the Dockers.

None of the coaches tipped Port Adelaide – the club that has spent a large part of the season on top of the ladder – to win the Grand Final.

The question about the likely winner of the NAB AFL Rising Star award drew a wide range of responses.

Melbourne's Christian Salem received 13 per cent of the votes, as did Port Adelaide's Jarman Impey and Collingwood's Tom Langdon.

Others mentioned were Brisbane Lions youngster James Aish, Essendon's Joe Daniher, St Kilda's Luke Dunstan, North Melbourne's Luke McDonald, Gold Coast's Kade Kolodjashnij and Greater Western Sydney's Josh Kelly.

The full results of the survey will be published in the round 16 edition of the AFL Record, which is available at all grounds.