We’re a little over five weeks away from the first game of the 2023 AFL season and anticipation is beginning to build.
While clubs are focused on team results, a raft of players will pick up individual awards once the season is done for respective outstanding campaigns.
With the Brownlow Medal, Coleman Medal and Rising Star some of the biggest awards a player can win, here’s who is the best chance of winning each prize from your club.
Brownlow: Rory Laird
Coleman: Taylor Walker
Rising Star: Luke Pedlar
While Taylor Walker and Ben Keays outpolled him last year, Rory Laird is a proven vote getter and probably Adelaide’s best chance if he finds his best form.
In front of the big sticks, Walker is easily the choice for the Coleman after kicking 95 goals across his last 35 games while Luke Pedlar – who was taken at pick 11 in the 2020 AFL Draft – is flying this pre-season and still Rising Star eligible.
Lachlan Geleit
Brownlow: Lachie Neale
Coleman: Joe Daniher
Rising Star: Will Ashcroft
Brisbane could have multiple individual award winners this season, with Lachie Neale a genuine chance to win another Brownlow medal and Will Ashcroft the red-hot favourite to win the Rising Star.
For the Coleman, the choice proves harder with Charlie Cameron, Joe Daniher and Eric Hipwood all able to hit the scoreboard. Given the Coleman is usually won by a tall forward, Daniher is probably the Lion with the highest ceiling across the entire season.
Lachlan Geleit
Brownlow: Patrick Cripps
Coleman: Charlie Curnow
Rising Star: Lachie Cowan
Carlton has the reigning Brownlow and Coleman medallist so it’s not hard to work out who should fill those two categories here.
Charlie Curnow had an incredible bounce back season, winning the Coleman Medal after essentially being sidelined for three years. Patrick Cripps too had a bounce back year, returning to his best form and winning the 2022 Brownlow Medal.
As for the Rising Star, it’s tough to see the winner coming from Carlton, but with injuries to Zac Williams and Jordan Boyd and with Sam Docherty playing on-ball, there may be early opportunities for second round draft pick Lachie Cowan.
Nic Negrepontis
Brownlow: Nick Daicos
Coleman: Brody Mihocek
Rising Star: Reef McInnes
Collingwood don’t have any players near the top of any of these markets, but Nick Daicos is the type of player that screams Brownlow Medallist. 2023 may be a year or two too early, but David King rates his chances and there’s no doubt he’ll poll well if he continues to improve.
Brody Mihocek has been Collingwood’s spearheard for a handful of years now, but probably doesn’t hit the scoreboard enough to take out the award and without any Rising Star standouts, third-year first-round pick Reef McInnes is a candidate if he starts playing enough senior football.
Lachlan Geleit
Brownlow: Zach Merrett
Coleman: Peter Wright
Rising Star: Elijah Tsatas
One of Essendon’s highest disposal winners, Merrett is probably the best chance of any Bomber to take home what would be an unlikely Brownlow Medal.
Peter Wright has been a revelation in recent seasons, kicking 53 goals in 2022. There’s nothing to suggest he’ll go backwards this year, despite an interrupted pre-season and should be in the mix for the Coleman Medal
As for the Rising Star, Elijah Tsatas is set for a delayed start to his first season at the Bombers as a result of a meniscus tear. Expect him to impress later in the year.
Laurence Rosen
Brownlow: Andrew Brayshaw
Coleman: Matt Taberner
Rising Star: Jye Amiss
Finishing tied for fourth in the 2022 Brownlow Medal as a 22-year-old, Andrew Brayshaw is very well-placed to improve again this season and is among the favourites for the medal as a whole, not just Fremantle’s count.
Meanwhile, Matt Taberner is full of potential if he can stay on the park. So too is Jye Amiss, who could also be a shout to be his side’s leading goalkicker.
The Dockers rate Amiss highly, and he’s likely to feature most of Fremantle’s eligible young guns.
Seb Mottram
Brownlow: Jeremy Cameron
Coleman: Tom Hawkins
Rising Star: Jhye Clark
Jeremy Cameron could become the first key position player to take home ‘Charlie’ since Adam Goodes. He’ll turn 30 during the upcoming season but is still at his peak and Geelong’s star player.
While Cameron will spend more time up the ground, Tom Hawkins could play closer to goal as he continues to manage the twilight of his career. Jhye Clark appears the Cats’ best young hope to play consistently after being taken in the top 10 of last year’s draft.
Seb Mottram
Brownlow: Touk Miller
Coleman: Ben King
Rising Star: Elijah Hollands
Touk Miller fell two votes short of winning the Brownlow Medal in 2022 and there’s no reason to suggest he can’t do it again in 2023. Miller has improved every year of his career and could still have more gears to his game.
The returning Ben King is clearly the most likely Sun to win the Coleman Medal and is a red-hot shot to do so if he hits the ground running post ACL. Most of the favourites for the award are competing with a teammate who is also in the running, whereas King will be the main focal point.
Elijah Hollands is an incredible talent and will be into his third year in the system. There’s every chance the talented forward-mid breaks out and becomes a key playmaker for the Suns in 2023.
Nic Negrepontis
Brownlow: Josh Kelly
Coleman: Toby Greene
Rising Star: Aaron Cadman
GWS doesn’t boast any favourites in the markets, however Josh Kelly has proven to be a consistent vote-getter throughout his career and could make an appearance in the Brownlow picture with a strong season. Kelly’s highest-place finish was 5th in 2017, and it would take a stellar year to top that mark.
Toby Greene is a star with an excellent ability to hit the scoreboard, however is yet to put together a complete season that sees him in Coleman contention, often missing too many games to tally enough.
Taken first overall in the 2022 National Draft, a Rising Star win would be a dream start to Aaron Cadman’s career, cementing himself as key forward of the Giants’ future.
Jack Makeham
Brownlow: Karl Amon
Coleman: Mitch Lewis
Rising Star: Cam Mackenzie
Karl Amon surprised many when recording 15 votes last year. Given he’s likely to improve in a new environment, he seems Hawthorn’s best chance in a team devoid of stars.
Mitch Lewis will miss the start of the AFL season with a knee injury but should play enough footy to be the club’s leading goal kicker and give the competition a shake.
Cam Mackenzie was the seventh pick in last year’s National Draft and has impressed the Hawks so far. Given the club’s list profile, Mackenzie would expect to play plenty of senior footy in 2023.
Seb Mottram
Brownlow: Clayton Oliver
Coleman: Bayley Fritsch
Rising Star: Jacob Van Rooyen
After polling 56 votes across the last two seasons with two straight top-five finishes, 2023 could be the year Clayton Oliver finally breaks through to win a maiden Brownlow Medal. While his running mate Christian Petracca is also a big vote-getter, Oliver has outpolled him in the last two campaigns.
Up forward, Bayley Fristch is Melbourne’s most prolific and has finished in the top 10 of the Coleman race in both 2021 and 2022. He could be supported inside 50 this year by first-round draftee Jacob Van Rooyen who has been catching eyes in his second pre-season and could breakout as a Rising Star hopeful.
Lachlan Geleit
Brownlow: Luke Davies-Uniacke
Coleman: Nick Larkey
Rising Star: Harry Sheezel
Let’s be honest, the Brownlow Medallist isn’t coming from North Melbourne – yet. Luke Davies-Uniacke might one day win the league’s top award, such is his ceiling, but 2023 remains a growth year for the midfielder.
Nick Larkey continues to get better with each passing season and will surely once again be North Melbourne’s leading goal kicker. If anyone at the Roos is going to get anywhere near the Coleman, it will be him.
Harry Sheezel was the third pick in the 2022 National Draft and should play from Round 1. The mercurial forward will have moments of brilliance throughout the season, which will naturally lead to Rising Star buzz.
Nic Negrepontis
Brownlow: Ollie Wines
Coleman: Todd Marshall
Rising Star: Josh Sinn
At his best, Ollie Wines has climbed the mountain before, and Port Adelaide will hope he can chase a second Brownlow Medal in 2023. While the on-baller earned just 13 votes in 2022, he’s still the standout choice at Alberton.
Up forward, Todd Marshall began to breakout in 2022 where he kicked 2.5 goals a game after the bye. If he continues to improve in 2023, he could easily kick more than 50 goals and put himself right in the Coleman race.
For the Rising Star, Josh Sinn played one game in 2022 after being taken at pick No. 12 in the 2021 Draft. Michelangelo Rucci described the youngster as a “player to watch” after impressing in his second pre-season.
Lachlan Geleit
Brownlow: Shai Bolton
Coleman: Tom Lynch
Rising Star: Tyler Sonsie
While Richmond currently boasts two former Brownlow Medallists on their list, their best bet looks to come in the form of emerging superstar Shai Bolton.
Star midfielders Tim Taranto and Dion Prestia could ultimately poll more votes, however if there’s anyone at Punt Road who could realistically have a crack at the Brownlow, it would be Bolton in career-best form.
Tom Lynch is an ever-present Coleman threat coming off the back of a second-place finish last season. With his consistency and scoring prowess, it seems to be only a matter of time before he secures his first medal.
With plenty of experience down at Tigerland, there are not many candidates other than Tyler Sonsie that could feature in the Rising Star, with the young gun carving out a role for himself after a solid seven games last year.
Jack Makeham
Brownlow: Jack Steele
Coleman: Max King
Rising Star: Mattaes Phillipou
A return to 2021 form is all that’s needed for Jack Steele to surge back into Brownlow contention, and a new coach in Ross Lyon could do that for the Saints skipper.
No other Saint except Max King has the potential to kick over 50 goals this season, making the 22-year-old his side’s best chance of taking the Coleman even though he’ll miss the early parts of the season.
There are a number of aspects for Saints fans to get excited about in 2023, not least Mattaes Phillipou. The top draftee was among the most exciting of his draft class and if he can make the step up to AFL level, has the game-breaking ability to shape contests.
Seb Mottram
Brownlow: Callum Mills
Coleman: Isaac Heeney
Rising Star: Jacob Konstanty
It’s hard to see Sydney having a player in the Rising Star mix this year. Top draftee Jacob Konstanty is a player who could feature at AFL level in 2023 and is known for his ability to play as a defensive forward. His team-first nature could see John Longmire turn to him early on.
Callum Mills polled well in 2022 and is every chance to do so again if the Swans remain around the mark, while you could throw a blanket over a few Sydney forwards who are all capable of kicking 30-40 goals. It's unlikely they have a Coleman winner in 2023.
Nic Negrepontis
Brownlow: Tim Kelly
Coleman: Oscar Allen
Rising Star: Reuben Ginbey
Tim Kelly is yet to put his best foot forward at West Coast, but if he does, look out.
He polled well at Geelong before joining the Eagles and has the potential that most of his teammates lack. And, while Oscar Allen is unlikely to win the Coleman Medal, the highly-rated Eagle has the ability to be anything.
He’s more likely to kick 50+ goals this year than teammate Jack Darling, making him the best selection. Meanwhile, plenty of noise came out of the west on just how good Reuben Ginbey is throughout his draft year, and the Eagles may debut their top 2022 pick early in the season.
Seb Mottram
Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli Coleman: Aaron Naughton Rising Star: Sam Darcy
The Bulldogs have one of the best chances to pull off a clean sweep when it comes to awards season.
Marcus Bontempelli is a constant presence in Brownlow voting, having only two seasons in his career in which he polled less than 10 votes.
Aaron Naughton is coming off a career year in 2022, kicking 51 goals en route to a top 10 Coleman finish, a season which could simply be a prelude to things to come.
Sam Darcy is one of the red-hot favourites for the Rising Star, excelling in his four appearances last season. Now free from injury, Darcy looks poised to cement himself in the competition.
Jack Makeham