MORE than half the coaches surveyed by AFL Media mid-season picked the Sydney Swans to win the premiership, with 16 of 18 suggesting a team finishing fifth-to-eighth was capable of winning the flag.

At the time of the anonymous survey, Hawthorn was two games clear on top of the ladder, but the majority of coaches (nine of the 17 who provided a pick) tipped the Swans, with one nominating the Western Bulldogs.

How the coaches' saw it in July

The Dogs finished the home and away season in seventh spot and have won three cut-throat finals to reach the Grand Final. They are aiming to become just the second club to win a premiership from outside the top four in an eight-team finals series. Only Adelaide, in 1998, has managed that feat since the top-eight was introduced in 1994.  

Last year, 11 of the 15 coaches who picked the Grand Final winner settled on eventual premier Hawthorn.

The AFL Media annual coaches’ survey, facilitated by the AFL Coaches’ Association, was conducted in July. All 18 senior coaches took part in the anonymous online survey, although not all 18 answered every question.