The Australian Football League today polled the 17 AFL club captains for their views on the impending 2011 Toyota AFL Premiership Season, and they see reigning premier Collingwood as still the team to beat.
The Magpies were the only club in the competition to be endorsed by every single rival captain as a certain finalist in 2011, and 14 rival captains viewed them as the opposition team most likely to reach the Grand Final.
Number one Draft pick David Swallow was an overwhelming favourite to win the Ron Evans medal as the NAB AFL Rising Star while Lance Franklin was a clear favourite to repeat his 2008 heroics and win the Coleman medal as leading goalkicker.
Luke Hodge, Dane Swan and Joel Selwood each received three nominations as a likely Brownlow medallist, among a total of 10 players to be put forward as a potential winner.
For the first time in 2011, the captains were asked which player was most likely to win Goal of the Year and which player was most likely to win Mark of the Year. Melbourne’s Liam Jurrah was a stand-out contender for the man most likely to take the best mark with Jurrah (again), Mark LeCras, Cyril Rioli and Daniel Motlop receiving multiple nominations for goal of the year.
At a gathering with the AFL Commission in Melbourne today on the eve of the season launch, the captains were asked seven key questions on the season ahead, with the proviso that their individual answers would be treated anonymously to ensure personal views:
The full voting was:
Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight?
Collingwood (16), St Kilda (15), Western Bulldogs (15), Geelong Cats (15), Hawthorn (14), Sydney Swans (10), Adelaide Crows (nine), Fremantle (nine), Carlton (nine), Essendon (five), West Coast (one), North Melbourne (one), Brisbane Lions (nil), Gold Coast SUNS (nil), Port Adelaide (nil), Richmond (nil), Melbourne (nil).Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
Collingwood (14), Hawthorn (two), Western Bulldogs (one).
Who do you think will win the 2011 Brownlow Medal?
Luke Hodge, Hawthorn (three), Joel Selwood, Geelong Cats (three), Dane Swan, Collingwood (three), Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood (two), Matthew Boyd, Western Bulldogs (one), Adam Goodes, Sydney Swans (one), Chris Judd, Carlton (one), Marc Murphy, Carlton (one), Jack Riewoldt, Richmond (one), Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle (one).
Who do you think will win the 2011 Coleman Medal?
Lance Franklin, Hawthorn (10), Barry Hall, Western Bulldogs (three), Jack Riewoldt, Richmond (two), Mark LeCras, West Coast (one), Drew Petrie, North Melbourne (one).
Who do you think will win the 2011 NAB AFL Rising Star?
David Swallow, Gold Coast SUNS (13), Shaun Atley, North Melbourne (one), Harley Bennell, Gold Coast SUNS (one), Reece Conca, Richmond (one), Dyson Heppell, Essendon (one).
Who do you think will take Mark of the Year?
Liam Jurrah, Melbourne (six), Jack Riewoldt, Richmond (three), Paddy Ryder, Essendon (two), Luke McPharlin, Fremantle (one), Nick Maxwell, Collingwood (one), Nic Naitanui, West Coast (one), Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda (one), Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle (one), Zephaniah Skinner, Western Bulldogs (one).
Who do you think will kick Goal of the Year?
Liam Jurrah, Melbourne (three), Mark LeCras, West Coast (two), Daniel Motlop, Port Adelaide (two), Cyril Rioli, Hawthorn (two), Hayden Ballantyne, Fremantle (one), Eddie Betts, Carlton (one), Alan Didak, Collingwood (one), Jeff Garlett, Carlton (one), Lewis Jetta, Sydney Swans (one), Steve Johnson, Geelong Cats (one), Stephen Milne, St Kilda (one), Daniel Wells, North Melbourne (one).
