GREATER Western Sydney remains the team to beat in this year's flag race, while a miraculous Sydney Swans premiership is a possibility, the game's senior coaches say.

Five coaches have tipped the Giants to win their first flag this year in an exclusive survey conducted for AFL.com.au and the AFL Record, despite a run with injuries that has threatened to derail their season.

The Giants entered the season as a popular flag tip, but they have lost Stephen Coniglio, Nick Haynes, Rory Lobb, Devon Smith, Ryan Griffen and Brett Deledio for periods this year.

Drawing on their depth and winning against the odds through the middle of the season kept the Giants in the top two, and they had into the home straight in third position with 11 wins and two draws.

Sydney and Geelong were tipped by three coaches each, with a Swans premiership shaping as the most remarkable of all after John Longmire's men started the season 0-6.

Ladder-leader Adelaide and South Australian rival Port Adelaide (two votes each) were the only other clubs to draw multiple votes.

Seventeen of the AFL's 18 senior coaches made their views on the game clear in the anonymous survey, giving insights into the game's stars, leading clubs and rules.

The Power were seen as the most surprising team this season after climbing from 10th in 2016 to fifth in round 20 this year.

They drew five votes, ahead of reigning premiers the Western Bulldogs and last year's wooden-spooner Essendon (three each).

Richmond, which has established a position in the top four in the run to finals, earned two votes after turning around its fortunes following a horror 2016 season that lead to significant off-field change.

When the coaches focused the lens on themselves, Port Adelaide's Ken Hinkley and Geelong’s Chris Scott each earned three votes as the hardest coach to go up against.

Ross Lyon (Fremantle), Luke Beveridge (Western Bulldogs) and Alastair Clarkson (Hawthorn) all drew two votes each.

The AFL Media annual coaches’ survey, facilitated by the AFL Coaches’ Association, was conducted in July. Seventeen of the 18 senior coaches took part in the anonymous online survey. Read the full survey results in the round 20 edition of the AFL Record, available at all venues.