It’s prediction season.
In the coming days and weeks, every AFL-covering media outlet will wheel out their experts to predict the winners and losers of season 2023.
Our digital team here at SEN will prompt the AFL Nation talent with a series of questions.
Who will win the premiership?
Who will make the eight?
Who takes home the wooden spoon?
Who wins the Brownlow, Coleman and Rising Star?
I'm removing myself from prediction season on the back of something Gerard Healy to me off air this week.
"You've got as much chance to predict the lotto numbers."
That was his blunt response when assessing who will win the flag this year.
And you're right.
Ten teams have a realistic shot at winning it all, and 12 who will be bitterly disappointed if they miss the eight; therefore, any prediction is purely a guess.
Good luck getting six out of nine footy tips correct in Round 1, let alone who will make the top four.
Let's take Fremantle, for example. On SEN Sportsday on Monday night, we asked prominent Western Australian Channel 7 journalist Ryan Daniels if a pass mark for the Dockers was to make a preliminary final.
“I think (a prelim final is the pass mark)… there’s a lot of talent there and they’re well coached and they’re well run, so I think a prelim is probably where they should be aiming,” Daniels said.
“I don’t know if it will be a bitter disappointment if they don’t get it because I think there’s an awareness here that this is going to be a big window, but I think internally and externally the expectation is they should be playing in a prelim.”
The Dockers in the prelim... Yep, it's realistic.
I wouldn't be shocked if Geelong, the Western Bulldogs, Port Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Collingwood and Carlton joined them.
Nine doesn't go into four.
Even Adelaide player Mitch Hinge said last week that they'd be bitterly disappointed to miss the eight this year.
Then what do we make of the Saints under Ross Lyon or 2021 finalists the Bombers under Brad Scott?
Eagles skipper Luke Shuey wants to be the Collingwood of 2022, and would we be shocked if the Giants got the new coach bounce and made the eight? They've still got some excellent players.
It's time for the Suns to make a run. Ben King is back, and they have quietly gone about their pre-season with little fuss. They could easily win 12 games, two more than last year, and sneak into the finals for the first time.
Are you joining the masses and submitting your pre-season predictions?
If so, please let me know the lotto numbers as well.
Gerard, I'm abstaining this year; thanks for the advice.