Anything can happen in footy and with September approaching fast, the top eight is still wildly unpredictable.
Richmond appears to be in a tier of their own, but we’ve seen countless examples of the number one seed having an off day when it matters most.
We gathered SEN and AFL Nation experts together to tell us what THEY think will happen across the remainder of the 2018 AFL season.
Who will get closest to the mark?
DAVID KING'S PREDICTIONS: (@DavidKing34)
Premier: Richmond
Runner up: West Coast
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, West Coast, Port Adelaide, Collingwood
5th to 8th: GWS, Geelong, Melbourne, North Melbourne
Biggest September Talking Point: The AFL backflip on radical rule changes. No changes from 2018.
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Alex Rance
DAISY PEARCE’S PREDICTIONS (@DaisyPearce6)
Premiers: Richmond
Runner Up: GWS
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, West Coast, GWS, Port Adelaide
5th to 8th: Melbourne, Collingwood, Geelong, North Melbourne
Biggest September Talking Point: Richmond dynasty looms
Brownlow: Max Gawn
Norm Smith: Alex Rance
NICK DAL SANTO’S PREDICTIONS (@NickDalSanto)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: Giants
Top 4: Tigers, Eagles, Giants, Pies
5th to 8th: Power, Demons, Cats, North Melbourne
Biggest September Talking Point: Kick after the siren goal wins a game in the finals.
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Bachar Houli
TERRY WALLACE’S PREDICTIONS (@TheListManager)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: West Coast
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, Wet Coast, Collingwood, GWS
5th to 8th: Geelong, Port, Melbourne, Hawthorn
Biggest September Talking Point: How the hell does someone take down the Tigers who have created history at the MCG?
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Alex Rance
ADAM COONEY'S PREDICTIONS (@AdamCooney17)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: Melbourne
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, Wet Coast, Collingwood, Port Adelaide
5th to 8th: GWS, Melbourne, Geelong, Hawthorn
Biggest September Talking Point: Prelim Final decided by a 50m penalty for a player not clearing the protected area quickly enough.
Brownlow: Max Gawn
Norm Smith: Kane Lambert
PAUL HASLEBY’S PREDICTIONS (@PaulHasleby)
Premier: West Coast
Runner Up: Richmond
Top 4: Richmond, West Coast, GWS, Collingwood
5th to 8th: Geelong, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, Melbourne
Biggest September Talking Point: State of the game and rule changes
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Andrew Gaff
KANE CORNES’ PREDICTIONS (@KaneCornes)
Premier: Richmond
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, GWS, Collingwood, West Coast
5th to 8th: Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Geelong, Hawthorn
Biggest September Talking Point: Dusty wins back-to-back Norm Smith medals.
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Dustin Martin
MALCOLM BLIGHT’S PREDICTIONS
Premier: North Melbourne
Runner Up: Richmond
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, West Coast, Collingwood, Port Adelaide
5th to 8th: GWS, Melbourne, North Melbourne, Geelong
Biggest September Talking Point: North win the flag from 7th.
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Dion Prestia (in a losing side)
ABBEY HOLMES’ PREDICTIONS (@AbbeyCHolmes)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: GWS
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, West Coast, Port Adelaide, GWS
5th to 8th: Collingwood, Melbourne, Geelong, North Melbourne
Biggest September Talking Point: GWS make their first ever Grand Final, but Richmond takes the cake.
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Dustin Martin
LIAM PICKERING’S PREDICTIONS (@LennyP23)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: Melbourne
Top 4: Richmond, Melbourne, West Coast, Geelong
5th to 8th: Port Adelaide, GWS, Sydney, Hawthorn
Biggest September Talking Point: The lack of Brownlow votes for ruckmen again after Gawn and Grundy poll poorly.
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Jack Riewoldt
SCOTT CUMMINGS’ PREDICTIONS (@ScottyCummings_)
Premier: Richmond
Runner up: West Coast
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, West Coast, GWS, Collingwood
5th to 8th: Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Geelong
Biggest September Talking Point: Brownlow voting is taken off umpires.
Brownlow: Shaun Higgins
Norm Smith: Trent Cotchin
SCOTT WATTERS’ PREDICTIONS
Premiers: GWS
Runner Up: West Coast
Top 4 (in order): GWS, West Coast, Richmond, Collingwood
5th to 8th: Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Geelong, Essendon
Biggest September Talking Point: Brownlow Medal replaced by a national AFL medal.
Brownlow: Luke Shuey
Norm Smith: Josh Kelly
ANDY MAHER’S PREDICTIONS (@AndyMaherDFA)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: Collingwood
Top 4: Richmond, Collingwood, West Coast, GWS
5th to 8th: Port Adelaide, Melbourne, Hawthorn, Geelong
Biggest September Talking Point: The impact injuries will have on finals prospects.
Brownlow: Max Gawn, Tom Mitchell and Patrick Cripps
Norm Smith: Kane Lambert
STEPHEN QUARTERMAIN’S PREDICTIONS: (@Quartermain10)
Premier: Richmond
Runner up: West Coast
Top 4 (in order): Richmond, Eagles, Dees, Giants
5th to 8th: Pies, Cats, Power, Hawks
Biggest September Talking Point: Could the Giants win it?
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell
Norm Smith: Dustin Martin
BRETT PHILLIPS’ PREDICTIONS (@BrettAPhillips)
Premier: Richmond
Runner Up: Melbourne
Top 4: Tigers, Eagles, Giants, Port Adelaide
5th to 8th: Melbourne, Collingwood, Geelong, Hawthorn
Biggest September Talking Point: Sydney in decline and decide to change coach.
Brownlow: Max Gawn
Norm Smith: Kane Lambert
RANDOMIZER’S PREDICTIONS
Premier: Port Adelaide (Randomized the top 11 teams)
Runner up: West Coast (Randomized the top 11 teams)
Top 4 (in order): Port Adelaide, West Coast, Richmond, Collingwood (Randomized the top 9 teams)
5th to 8th: Geelong, Hawthorn, Sydney, Melbourne (Randomized the top 11 teams)
Biggest September Talking Point: This is all random.
Brownlow: Shaun Higgins (Randomized the top 10 favourites)
Norm Smith: Travis Boak (Randomized the entire Power and Eagles’ lists)
General Consensus
Premier: Richmond (12), GWS (1), North Melbourne (1), West Coast (1)
Runner up: West Coast (5), GWS (3), Melbourne (3), Richmond (2), Collingwood (1)
Brownlow: Tom Mitchell (10), Max Gawn (4), Patrick Cripps (1), Shaun Higgins (1), Luke Shuey (1)