The "experts" predictions.......MIKE SHEAHANPremier: Hawthorn
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. Collingwood 4. Port Adelaide 5. W Bulldogs
6. Richmond 7. Carlton 8. St Kilda
Brownlow: Gary Ablett
Next big thing: Travis Boak
After Round 12... three Victorian clubs eye Nathan Buckley as their next coach.
JON RALPH
Premier: Hawthorn
1. Hawthorn 2. Geelong 3. Collingwood 4. W Bulldogs 5. St Kilda 6. Carlton
7. Richmond 8. Adelaide
Brownlow: Scott Pendlebury
Next big thing: Alex RanceAfter Round 12... the AFL will be scratching its head about how it will get even $750 million for its next TV rights deal.
MICHAEL HORAN
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. Collingwood 4. St Kilda 5. Adelaide
6. Richmond 7. Carlton 8. North Melb
Brownlow: Simon Black
Next big thing: Jack Watts
After 12 rounds ... Collingwood and St Kilda will be wondering why they didn't punt on Ben Cousins. MARK ROBINSON
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. W Bulldogs 4. Carlton 5. Collingwood 6. St Kilda 7. Port Adelaide
8. RichmondBrownlow: Lance Franklin
Next big thing: Scott Gumbleton
After Round 12 ... people will be asking Gary March about Terry Wallace's future.JON ANDERSON
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. W Bulldogs 4. Collingwood 5. Adelaide 6. St Kilda
7. Richmond 8. Carlton
Brownlow: Adam Goodes
Next big thing: Brad Ebert
After Round 12... Buddy will be on target to break the long-standing AFL goals record of 150 in a season.
SCOTT GULLAN
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. W Bulldogs 4. Port Adelaide 5. St Kilda
6. Richmond 7. Collingwood 8. Carlton
Brownlow: Shaun Burgoyne
Next big thing: Hamish Hartlett
After Round 12... the AFL will introduce video replays for contentious goal umpiring decisions.
JIM WILSON
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. W Bulldogs 4. Brisbane Lions 5. Fremantle 6. St Kilda 7. Carlton 8. Collingwood
Brownlow: Gary Ablett
Next big thing: Chris Yarran
After Round 12... Kevin Sheedy will take over as caretaker coach at Richmond for the rest of the year.MARK STEVENS
Premier: Hawthorn
1. Hawthorn 2. W Bulldogs 3. Geelong 4. Collingwood 5. Carlton
6. Richmond 7. Port Adelaide 8. St Kilda
Brownlow: Chris Judd
Next big thing: Shaun Higgins
After Round 12 ... Terry Wallace will be safe with a two-year contract extension.JASON AKERMANIS
Premier: W Bulldogs
1. Hawthorn 2. W Bulldogs 3. Geelong 4. Brisbane Lions 5. Carlton
6. Richmond 7. Fremantle 8. North Melb
Brownlow: Adam Goodes
Next big thing: Tom Williams
After Round 12... there will be concern about all the injuries leading into the second half of the season.
SAM EDMUND
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. W Bulldogs 4. Collingwood 5. St Kilda
6. Richmond 7. Carlton 8. North Melb
Brownlow: Chris Judd
Next big thing: David Myers
After Round 12 ... TV broadcasters will be talking about a twilight Grand Final again.
BRUCE MATTHEWS
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. Brisbane Lions 4. W Bulldogs 5. North Melb 6. Adelaide
7. Richmond 8. Carlton
Brownlow: Gary Ablett
Next big thing: Patrick Dangerfield
After Round 12... fans and viewers will be protesting that officials have done nothing to solve the MCG seagull problem.
DAMIAN BARRETT
Premier: Hawthorn
1. Hawthorn 2. Geelong 3. Collingwood 4. Adelaide 5. Brisbane Lions 6. W Bulldogs 7. North Melb 8. St Kilda
Brownlow: Daniel Kerr
Next big thing: Patrick Dangerfield
After Round 12... Barry Hall will again be talking to Danny Green about a career in boxing.
SHANE CRAWFORD
Premier: Hawthorn
1. Hawthorn 2. Geelong 3. W Bulldogs 4. St Kilda 5. Collingwood 6. Carlton
7. Richmond 8. North Melb
Brownlow: Gary Ablett
Next big thing: Stephen Hill
After Round 12... Shane Crawford will make a shock comeback to help out Hawthorn's young list.
REBECCA WILLIAMS
Premier: Geelong
1. Hawthorn 2. Geelong 3. W Bulldogs 4. St Kilda 5. Collingwood 6. Carlton 7. Adelaide
8. RichmondBrownlow: Gary Ablett
Next big thing: Liam Jurrah
After Round 12 ... the heat will be rising on some coaches out of contract at the end of the season.
DARYL TIMMS
Premier: Geelong
1. Hawthorn 2. Geelong 3. W Bulldogs 4. St Kilda 5. Adelaide 6. Brisbane Lions
7. Richmond 8. Carlton
Brownlow: Lance Franklin
Next big thing: Andrejs Everitt
After Round 12... Richmond still remains the last team to beat Hawthorn in a home-and-away game - in Round 20, 2008.KEVIN SHEEDY
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. W Bulldogs 4. St Kilda
5. Richmond 6. Carlton 7. Fremantle 8. North Melb
Brownlow: Simon Black
Next big thing: Scott Gumbleton
After Round 12... Richmond will be in the top eight, on its way to a third finals campaign in 27 years.GLEN JAKOVICH
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. Collingwood 4. St Kilda 5. Brisbane Lions 6. W Bulldogs 7. Carlton
8. RichmondBrownlow: Chris Judd
Next big thing: Daniel Rich
After Round 12... questions will be raised about why there are so many low-scoring games.
ALASTAIR LYNCH
Premier: Geelong
1. Geelong 2. Hawthorn 3. Collingwood 4. Brisbane Lions 5. Adelaide 6. W Bulldogs 7. Carlton 8. Sydney
Brownlow: Luke Hodge
Next big thing: Matthew Leuenberger
After Round 12... we'll still be looking for a solution to the issue of front-on and head-high contact.