AHEAD of the 2026 NAB AFLW Season, which kicks off this Sunday, August 9, all 18 club captains have shared their predictions on how the season's biggest moments will unfold.
Fifteen captains have backed reigning premier North Melbourne to make a fourth consecutive NAB AFLW Grand Final appearance in 2026.
The West Coast Eagles' Ella Roberts (five votes) is the captains' favourite to win the AFLW Best and Fairest, followed by North Melbourne's Jasmine Garner (four votes) and the Geelong Cats' Georgie Prespakis (three votes).
North Melbourne's Tahlia Randall and St Kilda's Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw couldn't be split by the captains for who will be the competition's leading goalkicker, with three votes each. Meanwhile, the Adelaide Crows' Chloe Bown (three votes) was the most popular pick for the Telstra AFLW Rising Star, followed by the Gold Coast Suns' Ava Usher and Richmond's Olivia Wolmarans (two votes each).
Captains were also asked to predict the players most likely to claim Goal of the Year and Mark of the Year, plus share the matchup and player they are most excited to watch this season and who they would like to see perform at the Grand Final as part of the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment.
See questions and full votes below. Responses have been treated anonymously to ensure personal views.
Which club aside from your own is most likely to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
(In 2025, 11 captains correctly predicted eventual premies North Melbourne to reach the NAB AFLW Grand Final)
15 – North Melbourne
2 – Melbourne
1 – Brisbane Lions
Which club is most likely to win the McClelland Trophy?
(In 2025, five captains predicted the Brisbane Lions to win the McClelland Trophy)
6 – Brisbane Lions
6 – Fremantle
2 – Melbourne
1 – Adelaide Crows, Geelong Cats, Hawthorn and Sydney Swans
Who will win the AFLW Best and Fairest?
(In 2025, no captains predicted eventual AFLW Best and Fairest winner Ash Riddell)
5 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
4 – Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
3 – Georgie Prespakis (Geelong Cats)
2 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 – Ellie Blackburn (Western Bulldogs), Belle Dawes (Brisbane Lions), Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans) and Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
(In 2025, no captains predicted Indy Tahau to be the competition's leading goalkicker)
3 – Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne) and Jesse Tawhiao-Wardlaw (St Kilda)
2 – Aishling Moloney (Geelong Cats) and Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn)
1 – Blaithin Bogue (North Melbourne), Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions), Caitlin Gould (Adelaide Crows), Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns), Sophie McKay (Carlton), Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans), Taylor Smith (Sydney Swans) and Indy Tahau (Port Adelaide)
Who is most likely to take the Virgin Australia AFLW Mark of the Year?
4 – Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
3 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Sophie Conway (Brisbane Lions), Jessica Doyle (GWS Giants), Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans), Amy Gaylor (Essendon), Tayla Harris (Melbourne), Eloise Jones (Adelaide Crows), Kaylee Kimber (Western Bulldogs), Meg Lappin (Brisbane Lions), Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne), Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood) and Poppy Scholz (Carlton)
Who is most likely to kick the Coles AFLW Goal of the Year?
6 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
2 – Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans) and Gemma Houghton (Port Adelaide)
1 – J'Noemi Anderson (St Kilda), Tarni Evans (GWS Giants), Asher Fearn-Wannan (Brisbane Lions), Erone Fitzpatrick (Carlton), Georgia Gee (Essendon), Sienna Gerardi (West Coast Eagles), Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns) and Keeley Sherar (Carlton)
Who will win the Telstra AFLW Rising Star?
(In 2025, two captains predicted Zippy Fish to be the Telstra AFLW Rising Star)
3 – Chloe Bown (Adelaide Crows)
2 – Ava Usher (Gold Coast Suns) and Olivia Wolmarans (Richmond)
1 – Mischa Barwin (Collingwood), Priya Bowering (Geelong Cats), Mizuki Brothwell (Western Bulldogs), Daisy Flockart (Hawthorn), Marlo Graham (Brisbane Lions), Maggie Johnstone (Essendon), Scarlett Johnson* (GWS Giants), Sunny Lappin (Gold Coast Suns), Tayla McMillan (Carlton), Maddie Quinn (Sydney Swans) and Jovie Skewes-Clinton (West Coast Eagles)
* Scarlett Johnson will miss the 2026 NAB AFLW Season with an ACL injury
Which clubs are you most excited to see match up this year?
4 – North Melbourne v Melbourne
3 – Brisbane Lions v North Melbourne
2 – Geelong Cats v North Melbourne and GWS Giants v Sydney Swans
1 – Adelaide Crows v Gold Coast Suns, Adelaide Crows v Port Adelaide, Carlton v Melbourne, Fremantle v West Coast Eagles, Fremantle v Geelong, Geelong Cats v Melbourne, Western Bulldogs v Melbourne
What player from another club are you most excited to watch this year?
3 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles) and Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)
2 – Tyla Hanks (Melbourne)
1 – Mikayla Bowen (Geelong Cats), Chloe Bown (Adelaide Crows), Brianna Davey (Collingwood), Amy Gaylor (Essendon), Claudia Whitford (Carlton), Kate Hore (Melbourne), Mua Laloifi (Western Bulldogs), Ellie McKenzie (Richmond), Nina Morrison (Geelong Cats) and Gabby Newton (Fremantle)
Who would you love to see perform at the Telstra Pre-Game Entertainment this year's NAB AFLW Grand Final?
2 – Dom Dolla and Kylie Minogue
1 – 50 Cent, Barkaa, Blaithin Bogue, Chappell Roan, Dire Straits, Fisher, Jimmy Barnes, Kendrick Lamar, Dua Lipa, Missy Higgins, Nikki Minaj, Olivia Dean, Taylor Swift, The Veronicas
The survey was completed by:
Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide Crows)
Breanna Koenen (Brisbane Lions)
Abbie McKay (Carlton)
Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
Bonnie Toogood (Essendon)
Ange Stannett (Fremantle)
Becky Webster (Geelong Cats)
Niamh McLaughlin (Gold Coast Suns)
Rebecca Beeson (GWS Giants)
Emily Bates (Hawthorn)
Kate Hore (Melbourne)
Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)
Justine Mules-Robinson (Port Adelaide)
Gabby Seymour (Richmond)
Serene Watson (St Kilda)
Lucy McEvoy (Sydney Swans)
Charlie Thomas (West Coast Eagles)
Isabelle Pritchard (Western Bulldogs)
