Who will win the flag?

Can Melbourne end the longest premiership drought in the AFL? A couple of our experts believe the Demons have the list to go all the way and win their first flag since 1964. All of them expect the red and the blue to feature prominently in September. But reflecting the evenness at the pointy end of the ladder, there are also those who are bullish about Collingwood and Richmond lifting the cup. Oh, and what about last year’s premiers, West Coast? The consensus is that they will at least make it through to preliminary final weekend, with some believing they can go back to back.



Who will be the big improvers?

The shared belief is that Adelaide will bounce back from their annus horribilis and not only play in the finals again, but possibly contend for the flag. And then there’s Essendon, who have the longest drought in the AFL without a finals win, dating back to the days when Jobe Watson was just a chubby teenager trying to make a name for himself (2004). All of our experts believe that the Bombers’ aggressive recruiting policy over the past two seasons will be rewarded with a chance to end that barren spell come September.