Kane Cornes has gone through what he has learned after five rounds of footy, suggesting the top eight is set bar one change.
Cornes also believes there are currently only four teams who can win the flag, on current form, with a fifth team in the mix if they get healthy.
2020 Preliminary Finalists Geelong and Brisbane are not among his contenders as it stands.
“My biggest thing is just that I’m not sure how many good teams there are. I’m not even sure if there’s a top eight,” Cornes told SEN SA Breakfast.
“I think there’s a top six. How many teams can genuinely win the premiership after Round 5? There’s probably four or five.
“The Western Bulldogs can no doubt win it, Melbourne with what we’re seeing can win it and they have enough good players and are playing a premiership style of football, they’ll be tested throughout the year.
“Port Adelaide can definitely win it, Richmond can win it and then maybe West Coast, but who knows about West Coast away from home with an ageing list and with their injuries they’ve got.
“That’s the challenge for the AFL, to keep their fans, and there are some poor sides in this competition at Round 5, keep these fans interested when there’s going to be some big smashings and some big beltings going on.”
On the top eight, Cornes sees Adelaide falling away and missing out and Brisbane climbing in from the current ladder.
“Brisbane, I wouldn’t be surprised if they made a run. The top eight, I think there’ll be one change now. Adelaide will go out and Brisbane will come in and the top eight is basically set,” he said.
“I think that’s an issue for the AFL. You’ll have teams sending players in for surgery at about Round 13 and almost forcibly tanking for a draft pick and that’s the last thing the AFL will want. That would be my biggest concern.”
The Western Bulldogs, Melbourne, Sydney, Port Adelaide, Richmond, West Coast, Adelaide and Geelong are the current top eight sides.
That would mean the likes of St Kilda, Carlton, GWS and Collingwood miss out.
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