Winless Tigers? Hawks on the rise? Our experts predict season 2025

Who will win the flag? Can Nick Daicos go one better and win the Brownlow this year? Will the Dockers make the eight after stumbling at the final hurdle in 2024? And how furious will the football-loving public be when there is no Saturday football on free-to-air TV?

Our football experts have their say on this and more in our time capsule of predictions. Scroll down to explore our team-by-team interactive, where our experts have assessed each club and provided their ladder predictions. You can also have your say on each team’s finishing position. Chief football writer Jake Niall weighs up every team, tipping the Lions and Giants as grand finalists and coach departures (and hires) as the story of the season.

Every one of our experts predicts a grim season for the Tigers – each expects Richmond to take home the wooden spoon. But Bulldogs great Bob Murphy has a particularly brutal tip; he thinks the biggest story of the year will be that the Tigers go winless. There’s also bad news for those fans of Port Adelaide and the Bulldogs – six and three of our crew, respectively, expect those teams to slide in season 2025.

At the top of the table, the Giants are the hot tip, with six of our experts expecting big things – no pun intended. Three of our gurus think the Lions will go back to back, but there are some votes for the Pies, Hawks, Swans and Cats. Nick Daicos is the clear favourite among our team to take home the Brownlow Medal this year.

Niall, Caroline Wilson and Michael Gleeson are back for the Real Footy podcast every Monday, as are our expert tipsters Andrew Wu and Peter Ryan, who you can listen to on Thursday morning each week.

What the experts think

Libby Birch

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). A once-in-a-generation talent, a true game changer. At just 22 years old, it’s thrilling to imagine how much better he could become.
Rising Star: Sid Draper (Adelaide). The Crows’ midfield is crying out for someone to step up and take control. Draper is poised to play a pivotal role, setting himself apart from his first-year competitors as a tough inside midfielder.
Story of the season: AFL and AFLW season overlap delights fans. The AFL and AFLW will run concurrently during rounds 23 and 24 of the men’s season, plus finals. With 18 AFL and AFLW games scheduled each weekend in the first two rounds of the women’s competition, double-headers are expected to be a highlight, offering a fantastic opportunity to bring both fan bases together.
On the rise: North Melbourne. With the addition of three seasoned players – Caleb Daniel, Jack Darling and Luke Parker – to this dynamic and youthful group, the rise of the team will be undeniable this year. Darling’s presence will ease the pressure on key forward Nick Larkey, who often bears the brunt of defensive attention up forward. Parker brings much-needed experience to a midfield already brimming with young talent, including rising stars such as Harry Sheezel and George Wardlaw. Meanwhile, Daniel will elevate the half-back line with his class and elite kicking skills, facilitating smooth and rapid transitions from defence to attack.
On the slide: Port Adelaide could miss the finals in 2025 after once again failing to make the most of a top-four finish last year. The team seems to be at a crossroads. Has Ken Hinkley already got the most out of his players, and will the succession plan affect their mindset? The loss of Dan Houston is significant, and injuries are becoming a growing concern heading into the season. Todd Marshall has ruptured his Achilles, defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher is dealing with a back injury, Esava Ratugolea is sidelined with a knee issue, and the return date for Sam Powell-Pepper remains uncertain after he injured his ACL in 2024.
Headline you won’t see: Crowd fully supports every umpire decision
Fans’ biggest gripe: Missing out on Gather Round. Last year’s vibe was electric, almost grand final-like, and anyone who misses it this year will regret not experiencing Adelaide’s incredible festival.

Michael Gleeson

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). Umpires seem to notice him.
Rising Star: Isaac Kako (Essendon). Kako will play early, play often and play outrageously. He is immediately the Bombers’ best small forward, which is not exactly a deep pool, but he has an Izak Rankine-like X-factor.
Story of the season: Have the Demons turned the corner or have the wheels come off?
On the rise: Gold Coast. They have built their list and now Damien Hardwick has had charge of the team for long enough to have control of who plays and how. Jed Walter is a superstar in the making.
On the slide: Essendon. Finished last season 11th. If all goes right, they could rise, but they’ll probably take a step back.
Headline you won’t see: I think we missed a few Brownlow votes for Patrick Cripps – umpires’ boss
Fans’ biggest gripe: Why are Hawthorn already good again?

Emma Kearney

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). Hard to go past Daicos with his consistent performances. Elite playmaker who impacts the game, particularly in the mid-forward areas. Has a great workrate to accumulate the ball and with eye-catching runs, he’ll get the attention of the umpires.
Rising Star: Finn O’Sullivan (North Melbourne). Makes the game look slow when he has ball in hand. Strong through the hips and difficult to tackle. Oozes class and composure.
Story of the season: Clayton Oliver gets back to his best. After an interrupted couple of seasons, he has been able to string a good pre-season together and is looking fit and strong.
On the rise: North Melbourne. The mature recruits have added much-needed experience to assist with the development of their high-end talent. Another pre-season for their younger players means they will be able to compete against the bigger bodies for far longer in games.
On the slide: Port Adelaide. They have a heavy reliance on their midfield firing. The loss of Dan Houston off the half-back line will hurt their ball movement, and there are questions over their forward line.
Headline you won’t see: Ken Hinkley’s job is in trouble. With Hinkley in his last year in charge of Port and the club announcing Josh Carr as his successor, the media can let him do his job and allow him to enjoy it without the pressure of being sacked.
Fans’ biggest gripe: Games finishing too late. Who doesn’t love Friday and Saturday footy? It’s fantastic, but the games are long and for young kids or those who love an early bedtime, it can finish quite late, particularly factoring in the travel if you’re watching the games at the ground.

Sam McClure

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). Sometimes the most obvious answer is the best answer. Daicos is the best player in the game, and won’t be denied this time.
Rising Star: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions). You know someone is rated highly when people at clubland rave about him more than his brother … who has just won a Norm Smith Medal.
Story of the season: The dispute between the AFL and clubs heats up over the biggest issues in the game.
On the rise: Fremantle. They might have the best list in the league, so expect the Dockers to be a force to reckon with.
On the slide: Brisbane Lions. It’s always difficult backing up after winning the premiership. Even more so when you lose a million-dollar forward in Joe Daniher. Will miss top four.
Headline you won’t see: Tassie stadium to begin construction on time
Fans’ biggest gripe: How on earth is there no AFL on free-to-air TV on Saturday?

Marc McGowan

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). Daicos finished top three the past two years and is only getting better. A Collingwood resurgence would only help.
Rising Star: Nate Caddy (Essendon). Jake Stringer is gone, so this is Caddy’s forward line (apologies to Kyle Langford). Caddy is entering season two and should gain extra credit as a tall forward.
Story of the season: Time is up for coaches Luke Beveridge and Matthew Nicks, on top of Ken Hinkley handing over the reins to Josh Carr, as none of their sides play finals.
On the rise: Fremantle. The Dockers have underachieved with the talent they boast. No area of the ground is lacking, and the best is still to come for most of Fremantle’s top players.
On the slide: Western Bulldogs. Injuries to key players will leave them vulnerable early in the season, and the margin for error in that middle pack is wafer thin.
Headline you won’t see: Anything about a Richmond winning streak. Wins will be at a premium for Adem Yze’s men.
Fans’ biggest gripe: No free-to-air AFL football on TV on Saturdays. Broadcasting the VFL will not come close to cutting it for Seven.

Bob Murphy

Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli* (Western Bulldogs). It’s just time, isn’t it? The best player in the competition (by some way), will win a long-overdue Chas.
Rising Star: Finn O’Sullivan (North Melbourne). A symbolic lift off the canvas for the Kangaroos in 2025, headed up by the young gun.
Story of the season: Richmond go winless for the season and goalless in a game.
On the rise: Gold Coast. As I predicted back in 2018, the Suns will rise and shine, and I will retweet said prediction and bask in its long-delayed warmth.
On the slide: Port Adelaide. The wheels might fall off at Port and it could happen early in the season. Do the players instinctively even know who is the coach in charge?
Headline you won’t see: Andrew Dillon rebrands the league AFLM
Fans biggest gripe: Jack Ginnivan starts being a “good boy” and it’s not nearly as much fun.

Jake Niall

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). Barring injury, he could start favourite every year until 2032.
Rising Star: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions). He likely would have been pick No.1 in an open draft and will benefit from going into a good side without excessive responsibility.
Story of the season: Coaching and poaching. Senior coaches’ futures, and the prospect of some switching clubs or walking, with John Longmire in demand.
On the rise: Fremantle and Melbourne. Shai Bolton will add sparkle to a Dockers team that has most bases covered. The Demons have Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver in better nick and Jacob van Rooyen emerging.
On the slide: Western Bulldogs. Injuries to key players – and Jamarra Ugle-Hagan’s absence – put the Dogs in an early ditch.
Headline you won’t see: All bets are off. AFL calls for the end of gambling ads
Fans’ biggest gripe: The continued cacophony and assault on their ears before and during breaks in games. It will be ignored.

Jon Pierik

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). It took a record number of votes for Patrick Cripps to topple the Collingwood star last year. Now it’s Daicos’ turn.
Rising Star: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions). Ashcroft is ready to have a similar impact to his brother, and will contribute to a winning team, catching the eye of voters.
Story of the season: There has been plenty of focus on Luke Beveridge’s future with the Bulldogs. Expect that to continue through a tough start to the home-and-away campaign.
On the rise: The Blues. They limped into the finals last year. They are built to win now, so a preliminary final is the baseline expectation in 2025.
On the slide: Melbourne. The Demons did finish 14th last year, but there are fears their premiership window has closed.
Headline you won’t see: Coaches back holding-the-ball interpretation
Fans’ biggest gripe: Lack of general admission tickets for a Collingwood v Carlton grand final.

Peter Ryan

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). If you poll 38 votes in your third season – in a team that misses finals– but finish second in the count then you must be close to a good thing the next year, even with a slow build-up this pre-season.
Rising Star: Dan Curtin (Adelaide). After one year in the system for seven matches and a standout pre-season, he will have opportunities to show why he is one of the most versatile young guns on a list.
Story of the season: Tassie Devils’ list demands outrage opposition clubs.
On the rise: Fremantle. Lost their final four matches to miss finals on percentage – their last-minute loss to Essendon was unforgivable. Shai Bolton is a perfect addition to a sometimes dour team.
On the slide: Port Adelaide. Their defence just can’t stop the best teams and once premiership chances look shaky late in season, the coaching succession plan takes priority over performance.
Headline you won’t see: ‘It’s as good as it’s ever been, the umpiring,’ says AFL boss
Fans’ biggest gripe: No free-to-air coverage of AFL matches on Saturdays.

Scott Spits

Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli* (Western Bulldogs). The Doggies champion is due and this will be his year. Just wait for the applause on the night.
Rising Star: Isaac Kako (Essendon). This Bombers’ draftee, the No.13 selection, has serious X-factor. Expect a strong challenge from Levi Ashcroft.
Story of the season: More than ever, that footy is a marathon not a sprint. Last year the Brisbane Lions started with a 0-3 record and were 13th after round 14. But they were good enough to win the flag from fifth position. Don’t be surprised if another club repeats the dose.
On the rise: Hawthorn. The brown and gold are on the rise after notching 14 wins last year. At the very least, expect a similar return.
On the slide: Port Adelaide. Sorry, Port and Ken Hinkley – it’s not going to be a good year. The Power have won a lot of matches in the past five years, but this pattern won’t continue.
Headline you won’t see: AFL concedes round one is not the first round of the season
Fans’ biggest gripe: The Saturday blackout on free-to-air TV. Weekends won’t quite be the same.

Mathew Stokes

Brownlow: Tom Green (GWS). I expect the inside bull to continue to grow his natural game and dominate games for longer. With GWS my tip for the premiership, I see a lot of three-vote games for him.
Rising Star: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions). Hard to bet against him considering his brother’s grand final showing. The little brother has the competitive appetite of his older brother and will be able to show his talent in a very talented Lions team.
Story of the season: How many lives do the Cats have? I thought only nine.
On the rise: Collingwood. After last year’s disappointment, they will bounce back with some handy recruits.
On the slide: Western Bulldogs. The game has gone past just having a talented core of players and I feel their depth will fall short when needed.
Headline you won’t see: St Kilda and Adelaide march to the finals
Fans’ biggest gripe: The game goes for too long – and I agree.

Caroline Wilson

Brownlow: Max Holmes (Geelong). The 22-year-old reached double figures in last year’s count after a breakout season. Extra responsibility and expectations shouldn’t faze him.
Rising Star: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions). Brisbane’s third Ashcroft is favourite for a reason. After a superb final junior year, he joins the reigning premiers and should slot seamlessly into a side expected to dominate again.
Story of the season: Tension at the top of AFL coaching ranks. The game’s most scrutinised profession will only become more so with Luke Beveridge, Matthew Nicks and Justin Longmuir coaching for their careers in 2025. The honeymoon is well and truly over for Adam Yze; senior mentors Alastair Clarkson, Damien Hardwick and Ross Lyon will have their longevity questioned and the Port Adelaide coaching handover will pose problems too. Expect four changes at the top by season’s end.
On the rise: Charlie Gardiner. Collingwood’s new football boss has been rightly charged with smoothing the substantial cracks in the Magpies’ football department. Expect the former Swans executive to stare down the recalcitrants and be running the club within three years.
On the slide: St Kilda. Expect the potshots from the top, aimed at the AFL rules and other clubs’ so-called unfair advantages, to subside as the on-field struggles demand increased internal scrutiny.
Headline you won’t see: Clubs unanimously back groundbreaking list build concessions for Tasmania Devils
Fans’ biggest gripe: The standard of umpiring. Fairly or unfairly, some things never change.

Andrew Wu

Brownlow: Nick Daicos (Collingwood). It’s a midfielder’s medal, and he’s the best midfielder in the game, as well as a proven vote-winner. Only injury will stop him from another podium finish.
Rising Star: Levi Ashcroft (Brisbane Lions). It’s a tough midfield to break into but the disappointment of not being taken at No.1 will give the father-son pick an extra point to prove in his debut season.
Story of the season: The guessing game over the futures of Carlton’s Tom De Koning and Sydney’s Chad Warner overshadowing their respective clubs’ premiership bid.
On the rise: Melbourne. Christian Petracca is back and Clayton Oliver has had a much smoother pre-season. That alone will go a long way to the Dees finding the three to four wins they need to vault from 14th to knocking on the door of the top four.
On the slide: Port Adelaide. Port rely on too much from too few. As seen when outclassed last September, their defence was shaky without Dan Houston, and they lack a bona fide big forward. Ken Hinkley’s last year at the helm promises to be issues-rich.
Headline you won’t see: AFL listens to fans, heeds calls for more Saturday afternoon footy
Fans’ biggest gripe: Why is VFL the only footy I can watch on free-to-air TV on Saturday?

• Bob Murphy and Scott Spits tipped Marcus Bontempelli for the Brownlow Medal before the extent of the calf injury he sustained in Thursday’s practice match against Hawthorn was known.

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