Overview

• ESPN’s panel largely positions the Brisbane Lions as the team to beat after consecutive flags and three straight Grand Finals.
• Multiple analysts nominate Collingwood’s Nick Daicos as the early Brownlow Medal pick based on expected development.
• Hawthorn and Gold Coast are repeatedly cited as leading challengers, with some projections placing the Hawks in the Grand Final mix.
• Early Coleman Medal picks diverge, with Sam Darcy, Ben King and Riley Thilthorpe emerging as prominent candidates.
• St Kilda is widely tipped as a riser off heavy spending, while several experts warn Collingwood could slide due to age, depth and late-season form, and off-field policy shifts are flagged as possible storylines.