Captains fancy Crows, Judd
1:09:31 PM Wed 15 March, 2006
Matt Burgan
Sportal for afl.com.au
The majority of AFL captains fancy Adelaide to win this year's premiership and new West Coast captain Chris Judd to win a second Brownlow Medal in 2006.
These thoughts came via a poll of all 16 AFL club captains in Melbourne for an annual pre-season photo shoot on Wednesday.
The captains rate Adelaide, West Coast and St Kilda as the best sides in the competition, while newly-appointed Essendon skipper Matthew Lloyd is the clear favourite to win a third John Coleman Medal.
Carlton's Marc Murphy is the hot favourite to win this year's NAB AFL Rising Star Medal, according to the poll.
At a gathering in the AFL Board Room, the captains were asked five-key questions on the season ahead, with the proviso that their answers would be treated anonymously.
Last year, four captains named either Sydney or West Coast to reach the grand final, while five skippers named St Kilda's Fraser Gehrig as the eventual Coleman Medallists and three leaders tipped Richmond's Brett Deledio to win the Rising Star Medal.
The 2006 AFL Captains survey: Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight? (16 times seven selections)
Adelaide (15), Brisbane Lions (10), Carlton (nil), Collingwood (one), Essendon (two), Fremantle (seven), Geelong (14), Hawthorn (nil), Kangaroos (four), Melbourne (five), Port Adelaide (four),
Richmond (two), Sydney (12), St Kilda (15), West Coast (15) and Western Bulldogs (six).
Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?Adelaide (10) and St Kilda (six).
Who do you think will win the 2006 Brownlow Medal?Chris Judd, West Coast (six), Ben Cousins, West Coast (two), Luke Hodge, Hawthorn (two), Chad Cornes, Port Adelaide (two), Dean Cox, West Coast (one), Paul Hasleby, Fremantle (one), Simon Black, Brisbane Lions (one) and Simon Goodwin, Adelaide (one).
Who do you think will win the 2006 Coleman Medal?Matthew Lloyd, Essendon (five), Fraser Gehrig, St Kilda (four),
Matthew Richardson, Richmond (two), Mark Williams, Hawthorn (one), Barry Hall, Sydney (one), Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda (one), David Neitz, Melbourne (one) and Anthony Rocca, Collingwood (one).
Who do you think will win the 2006 NAB AFL Rising Star?Marc Murphy, Carlton (seven), Mitchell Clark, Brisbane Lions (two), Jarrad Moore, Sydney (one), Grant Birchall, Hawthorn (one), Matt Rosa, West Coast (one),
Jarrad Oakley-Nicholls, Richmond (one), Chris Knights, Adelaide (one), Patrick Ryder, Essendon (one) and Dale Thomas, Collingwood (one).
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