Mega AFLW crystal ball: Duo ‘big improvers’, snubbed star to break through as 11 pundits unveil tips

Happy Christmas, AFLW fans.

Round 1 of season seven has arrived — and the hot pre-season takes and predictions are in.

Several members from Fox Footy’s commentary team have looked into their respective AFLW crystal balls and predicted the top eight, premier, wooden spoon, competition best and fairest, leading goalkicker and Rising Star winner for the upcoming season.

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Only three of the 11 pundits were in unison on three of the 18 teams making finals: Brisbane Lions, Hawthorn and reigning premiers North Melbourne. All 11 pundits, too, predicted the 2025 premiership winner would come from those three teams, with five — including footy pioneer Chyloe Kurdas — predicting the Kangaroos to go back-to-back.

“North Melbourne have got a sniff of winning and they just love it,” Kurdas told foxfooty.com.au. “And they’ve worked so bloody hard to get to that point that I just can’t see there being anything that would stop them going as hard, if not harder, again.

“The Roos got a taste of the ultimate success and I think they’ll be doing everything in their power to stay as reigning premiers.”

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Jenna Bruton, Ash Riddell and Jasmine Garner of the Kangaroos celebrate with the 2024 premiership cup. Picture: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images Source: Getty Images

The majority of tipsters also believe the two South Australian clubs — the Crows and the Power — would make the finals in 2025.

Both Adelaide (three-time premiers) and Port Adelaide reached the preliminary final stage last season, only to go down to the Lions and Kangaroos respectively.

After consecutive bottom-four finishes, the Power were the big improvers last season under coach Lauren Arnell, who’ll again lead a young, exciting Port list.

“She (Arnell) is really introspective, she drives high standards and she’s got a brilliant football mind,” Kurdas said. “She has certain expectations and standards that give players really good structure.

“I think younger players really lap up what Lauren’s got to offer and she’s an incredible teacher of young people.”

Geelong and Sydney were both widely tipped to jump back into the top eight after missing out on finals last season.

At the other end of the ladder, three pundits tipped the GWS Giants to finish on the bottom of the ladder — although the ‘wooden spoon race’ seems wide open this year.

Yet Kurdas can see the Giants climbing up the ladder this year if they can improve their work at the coalface.

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“I feel like the big improvers out of last year’s bottom 10 are the Swans, Geelong and, potentially, the Giants,” Kurdas said.

“If the Giants can play contested ball like we now know they can, I would say we’d see a lift from them.

“Then there’s Sydney and Geelong. I feel like Geelong finishing 10th last year, it just felt wrong … Keep in mind they were the only team to take points off of North Melbourne last year.”

After years of being snubbed by umpires, four pundits are backing North Melbourne superstar Jasmine Garner to break through and claim her first AFLW best and fairest award. Garner, who was named best-afield in last year’s grand final triumph for her 35-disposal, 10-clearance performance, has been named captain of North Melbourne for its premiership defence after flag-winning skipper Emma Kearney stepped down.

As for this year’s Rising Star, it’s a race between three top-five picks from last year: Collingwood’s Ash Centra (Pick 1), Gold Coast’s Havana Harris (Pick 2) and Sydney’s Zippy Fish (Pick 5).

The top 6 of the 2024 AFLW draft: Poppy Scholz of the Blues, Sara Howley of the Giants, Havana Harris of the Suns, Ash Centra of the Magpies, Molly O'Hehir of the Demons and Zippy Fish of the Swans. Picture: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

Kurdas described Centra as “a beautiful footballer”.

“She reminds me of a cross between a Jenna Bruton and a Kirby Bentley — she can dance a little bit like Kirby and she has all the time in the world like Jenna,” Kurdas said.

“She’s played a lot of country footy with the boys growing up, but the challenge now is as the No.1 draft pick, what’s the expectation?

“From all reports she’s an incredibly humble person and had worker, which will hold her in good stead. But there’s a lot of expectation that goes with Collingwood and going to the lowest-finishing team, so what’s going to be the pressure on her being the ‘saviour’ of the club? How does she manage that and how does the club manage the narrative around that?”

FINAL TALLIES (11 experts surveyed)

To play finals

11 (of 11) — Brisbane Lions, North Melbourne, Hawthorn

10 — Adelaide Crows

9 — Port Adelaide

8 — Geelong Cats, Sydney Swans

6 — Fremantle

5 — Melbourne, Richmond

2 — West Coast Eagles

1 — Carlton, St Kilda

Premiers

5 (of 11) — North Melbourne

3 — Brisbane Lions, Hawthorn

Wooden Spoon

3 (of 11) — GWS Giants

2 — Collingwood, Gold Coast Suns, West Coast Eagles

1 — St Kilda, Western Bulldogs

AFLW best and fairest

4 (of 11) — Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)

2 — Emily Bates (Hawthorn), Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)

1 — Kate Hore (Melbourne), Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles), Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)

Leading goalkicker

3 (of 11) — Aisling Moloney (Geelong Cats)

2 — Taylor Smith (Brisbane Lions)

1 — Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn), Caitlin Gould (Adelaide Crows), Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn), Alice O’Loughlin (North Melbourne), Danielle Ponter (Adelaide Crows), Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne)

Rising Star

5 (of 11) — Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns)

4 — Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)

2 — Ash Centra (Collingwood)

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FOX FOOTY CRYSTAL BALL: EXPERTS’ FULL 2025 AFLW PREDICTIONS

SARAH BURT

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Brisbane Lions

3. Adelaide Crows

4. Geelong Cats

5. Port Adelaide

6. Hawthorn

7. Sydney Swans

8. Melbourne

Premiers: North Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: West Coast Eagles

AFLW Best and Fairest: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Alice O’Loughlin (North Melbourne)

Rising Star: Ash Centra (Collingwood)

STEPH CLARKSON

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Hawthorn

3. Brisbane Lions

4. Sydney Swans

5. Geelong Cats

6. Carlton

7. Port Adelaide

8. Richmond

Premiers: North Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: St Kilda

AFLW Best and Fairest: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Caitlin Gould (Adelaide Crows)

Rising Star: Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns)

HANNAH DAVIES

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Adelaide Crows

3. Brisbane Lions

4. Hawthorn

5. Fremantle

6. Geelong Cats

7. St Kilda

8. West Coast Eagles

Premiers: Hawthorn

Wooden Spoon: GWS Giants

AFLW Best and Fairest: Emily Bates (Hawthorn)

Leading goalkicker: Taylor Smith (Brisbane Lions)

Rising Star: Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns)

DANIEL HARFORD

Top 8

1. Brisbane Lions

2. North Melbourne

3. Hawthorn

4. Geelong Cats

5. Melbourne

6. Port Adelaide

7. Sydney Swans

8. Adelaide Crows

Premiers: Brisbane Lions

Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Suns

AFLW Best and Fairest: Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Aileen Gilroy (Hawthorn)

Rising Star: Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)

CHYLOE KURDAS

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Brisbane Lions

3. Hawthorn

4. Adelaide Crows

5. Geelong Cats

6. Port Adelaide

7. Fremantle

8. Sydney Swans

Premiers: North Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: Collingwood

AFLW Best and Fairest: Emily Bates (Hawthorn)

Leading goalkicker: Kate Shierlaw (North Melbourne)

Rising Star: Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns)

WILL SCHOFIELD

Top 8

1. Brisbane Lions

2. North Melbourne

3. Adelaide Crows

4. Hawthorn

5. Port Adelaide

6. Richmond

7. West Coast Eagles

8. Fremantle

Premiers: Brisbane Lions

Wooden Spoon: Gold Coast Suns

AFLW Best and Fairest: Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)

Leading goalkicker: Taylor Smith (Brisbane Lions)

Rising Star: Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)

KELLI UNDERWOOD

Top 8

1. Brisbane Lions

2. Hawthorn

3. North Melbourne

4. Sydney Swans

5. Adelaide Crows

6. Port Adelaide

7. Richmond

8. Geelong Cats

Premiers: Hawthorn

Wooden Spoon: GWS Giants

AFLW Best and Fairest: Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)

Leading goalkicker: Aine McDonagh (Hawthorn)

Rising Star: Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)

MEGAN WATERS

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Adelaide Crows

3. Hawthorn

4. Brisbane Lions

5. Richmond

6. Fremantle

7. Melbourne

8. Sydney Swans

Premiers: North Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: GWS Giants

AFLW Best and Fairest: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Aisling Moloney (Geelong Cats)

Rising Star: Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)

BEN WATERWORTH

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Brisbane Lions

3. Adelaide Crows

4. Port Adelaide

5. Hawthorn

6. Geelong Cats

7. Sydney Swans

8. Fremantle

Premiers: Brisbane Lions

Wooden Spoon: Collingwood

AFLW Best and Fairest: Ash Riddell (North Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Danielle Ponter (Adelaide Crows)

Rising Star: Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns)

JESS WEBSTER

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Brisbane Lions

3. Hawthorn

4. Adelaide Crows

5. Fremantle

6. Port Adelaide

7. Melbourne

8. Sydney Swans

Premiers: Hawthorn

Wooden Spoon: Western Bulldogs

AFLW Best and Fairest: Kate Hore (Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Aisling Moloney (Geelong Cats)

Rising Star: Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns)

LAUREN WOOD

Top 8

1. North Melbourne

2. Adelaide Crows

3. Brisbane Lions

4. Hawthorn

5. Geelong Cats

6. Richmond

7. Port Adelaide

8. Melbourne

Premiers: North Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: West Coast Eagles

AFLW Best and Fairest: Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne)

Leading goalkicker: Aisling Moloney (Geelong Cats)

Rising Star: Ash Centra (Collingwood)

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