Fremantle’s Nat Fyfe is the AFL captains’ pick to win his first Brownlow Medal in 2015.
The AFL’s annual poll of club captains reveals that they believe the Gold Coast Suns will play in their first finals series, while Hawthorn, Sydney Swans and Port Adelaide are the teams to beat for the premiership.
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.
Twelve different clubs were considered chances to make the finals but Hawthorn (11 votes), Sydney (four) and Port Adelaide (three) were the only teams considered likely to make the grand final.
Only three captains picked Adelaide to make the final eight.
The final eight votes were Hawthorn (17), Port Adelaide (17), Sydney Swans (17), Fremantle (16), Geelong (16), North Melbourne (14), Gold Coast Suns (12), Richmond (8), Essendon (4), Adelaide (3), Collingwood (1) and West Coast (1).
Fyfe was selected by four captains as the likely Brownlow winner, with Gary Ablett, Travis Boak, Patrick Dangerfield and Joel Selwood attracting two votes each.
Hawthorn spearhead Jarryd Roughhead was the clear favourite (seven votes) to win the Coleman Medal, while Geelong’s Nakia Cockatoo (four) and Sydney’s Isaac Heeney (three) were tipped to win the Rising Star Award.
