Essendon great Matthew Lloyd has named the AFL teams he believes can and cannot win the premiership in 2023 at this very early stage.
This exercise was completed with Kane Cornes on AFL Trade Radio on the spot to determine how many teams enter next season already out of the mix.
Lloyd can only see eight teams in contention, which means 10 are already incapable of winning it, a poor sign for the league’s equalisation methods.
However, he adds that teams can always catch you by surprise.
“I would have said no about Collingwood this time last year and someone will jump up that you do not expect. One of the no’s might finish top five and shock you,” Lloyd said.
“Collingwood shocked me. Fremantle shocked me. The Dockers have got their act together off the field. Collingwood too.
“That’s where a lot of these clubs I said no to, they make bad decision off the field as well as on the field.”
Teams that can win the flag
Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Richmond, Fremantle, Collingwood, Sydney, Melbourne, Geelong, Brisbane.
Teams that can’t win the flag
North Melbourne, West Coast, GWS, Essendon, Adelaide, Hawthorn, Gold Coast, St Kilda, Carlton.
Cornes believes it is a worry for the AFL that the top teams are getting stronger in this trade period.
“I’m with you, I would’ve said yes to Carlton,” he said.
“It’s not a great situation is it for the AFL to be in? Where you’re starting a season and most people would agree that half the competition cannot win the premiership.
“I feel like (the gap) is becoming more significant in this trade period. Richmond is going to get stronger, look at what they’re doing.
“Geelong are revitalising the youth coming through their list and bypass the development stage with Ollie Henry and Tanner Bruhn, so they get stronger.
“I think it’s an issue for the AFL. I don’t know how they solve it. Think about how far away North Melbourne is from a premiership, and then you lose a significant piece in this trade period.
“I think most people would agree that over half the competition can’t win the flag next year which isn’t great for the league.”