Club captains across the AFL have unanimously backed the Sydney Swans to qualify for the finals once again in 2017.
All 18 club captains were asked for their predictions for the upcoming season as part of the annual pre-season captains survey.
Sydney was the only club unanimously selected to play finals in 2017, while crosstown Greater Western Sydney was the clear premiership favourite.
The captains were asked which seven other teams, apart from their own, could make the finals and which other club, apart from their own, could make the Grand Final.
All up, 11 different clubs were listed as potential finalists, while just four were tipped to make the Grand Final.
Star forward Lance Franklin has also been tipped as the most likely to take out the Coleman Medal is 2017 tieing with Gold Coast spearhead Tom Lynch on six votes.
Dan Hannebery has been picked as the most likely Swan to take out the Brownlow Medal receiving two votes from the skippers.
Geelong’s Patrick Dangerfield was the choice of five captains to go back-to-back in the Brownlow Medal, while Marcus Bontempelli (Western Bulldogs), Hannebery (Sydney) and Dustin Martin (Richmond) each polled two votes.
Last year's No.1 draft pick, Essendon's Andrew McGrath, led the predictions to win the NAB AFL Rising Star with four votes, ahead of Tim Taranto from GWS and Port Adelaide's Sam Powell-Pepper who both received three votes.
AFL CAPTAINS’ SURVEY - FULL VOTING
Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight?
(18 x seven selections)
Sydney (17)
GWS (16)
West Coast (16)
Adelaide (15)
Western Bulldogs (15)
Geelong (14)
Hawthorn (14)
St Kilda (11)
Melbourne (6)
Essendon (1)
Fremantle (1)
Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?
(No captains picked the Western Bulldogs in 2016)
GWS (14)
Adelaide (1)
Sydney (1)
West Coast (1)
Western Bulldogs (1)
Who do you think will win the 2017 Brownlow Medal?
(Four captains correctly nominated Patrick Dangerfield in 2016)
Patrick Dangerfield – Geelong (5)
Marcus Bontempelli - Western Bulldogs (2)
Dan Hannebery – Sydney (2)
Dustin Martin – Richmond (2)
Lance Franklin – Sydney (1)
Max Gawn - Melbourne (1)
Luke Shuey - West Coast (1)
Rory Sloane - Adelaide (1)
Adam Treloar - Collingwood (1)
Callan Ward – GWS (1)
Jobe Watson - Essendon (1)
Who do you think will win the 2017 Coleman Medal?
(Seven captains correctly nominated Josh Kennedy in 2016)
Lance Franklin - Sydney (6)
Tom Lynch - Gold Coast (6)
Josh Kennedy - West Coast (4)
Jeremy Cameron - GWS (2)
Who do you think will win the 2017 NAB AFL Rising Star?
(Seven captains correctly nominated Callum Mills in 2016)
Andrew McGrath - Essendon (4)
Sam Powell-Pepper - Port Adelaide (3)
Tim Taranto – GWS (3)
Jacob Hopper - GWS (2)
Hugh McCluggage – Brisbane (2)
Jack Bowes - Gold Coast (1)
Sean Darcy - Fremantle (1)
Caleb Marchbank - Carlton (1)
Sam Petrevski-Seton - Carlton (1)
