Last year’s premiers, the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos, are predicted to go back-to-back and win the 2025 NAB AFLW Grand Final, according to the 18 AFLW captains who gathered in Melbourne today.
As all 18 club representatives, including six first-time captains, made their way to Marvel Stadium to officially launch the 2025 NAB AFLW Season, they were anonymously polled on seven key questions about how they believe the season will unfold, with the Kangaroos (10 votes) followed by the Brisbane Lions (six votes), Hawthorn and Richmond (one vote each) predicted the teams most likely win the 2025 NAB AFLW Grand Final aside from their own.
The Kangaroos’ Jasmine Garner (five votes) was tipped ahead of Melbourne’s Kate Hore (four votes), West Coast’s Ella Roberts and Richmond’s Monique Conti (two votes each) to win the 2025 AFLW Best and Fairest Award.
Geelong’s Aishling Moloney (four votes) is expected to continue her strong goalkicking form in 2025 to win back-to-back league leading goalkicker awards, followed by the Lions’ Taylor Smith, Essendon’s Bonnie Toogood, Adelaide’s Caitlin Gould and St Kilda’s Jesse Wardlaw (two votes each).
The captains couldn’t split the GIANTS’ Zarlie Goldsworthy, the Lions’ Courtney Hodder, Adelaide’s Danielle Ponter and Port Adelaide’s Gemma Houghton (two votes each) for who is most likely to kick the NAB AFLW Goal of the Year, while the Kangaroos’ Tahlia Randall (three votes) was predicted most likely to take the Medibank AFLW Mark of the Year.
Pick No.1 in the 2024 Telstra AFLW Draft, Collingwood’s Ash Centra (six votes), was also the captains’ top pick to win the 2025 Telstra AFLW Rising Star, ahead of Sydney’s Zippy Fish (two votes).
As the NAB AFLW competition heads into its milestone 10th season, the captains were also asked to reflect on their favourite moments from the first nine seasons. The top answers included the first-ever NAB AFLW game, their team’s Grand Final victories, playing in front of record-breaking crowds and all 18 teams being introduced into the competition.
The 2025 NAB AFLW Season gets underway on Thursday, 14 August. Head to womens.afl for tickets.
Which team aside from your own is most likely to win the NAB AFLW Grand Final?
(Nine captains predicted the North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos to win the 2024 NAB AFLW Grand Final)
10 – North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangraoos
6 – Brisbane Lions
1 – Hawthorn
1 – Richmond
Which club is most likely to win the McClelland Trophy?
(No captains predicted Hawthorn to win the 2024 McClelland Trophy)
9 – Adelaide Crows
5 – Brisbane Lions
1 – Collingwood
1 – Fremantle
1 – Geelong Cats
1 – Gold Coast SUNS
Who will win the league Best and Fairest?
(Two captains predicted the Adelaide Crows’ Ebony Marinoff to win the 2024 AFLW Best and Fairest)
5 – Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos)
4 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
2 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
2 – Monique Conti (Richmond)
1 – Ally Anderson (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Charlie Rowbottom (Gold Coast SUNS)
1 – Ellie McKenzie (Richmond)
1 – Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
1 – Ebony Marinoff (Adelaide Crows)
Who will kick the most goals in the competition?
(No captains predicted the Geelong Cats’ Aishling Moloney or Brisbane Lions’ Taylor Smith to win the 2024 AFLW Leading Goalkicker Award)
4 – Aishling Moloney (Geelong Cats)
2 – Taylor Smith (Brisbane Lions)
2 – Bonnie Toogood (Essendon)
2 – Caitlin Gould (Adelaide Crows)
2 – Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda)
1 – Alice O’Loughlin (North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos)
1 – Dakota Davidson (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Gemma Houghton (Port Adelaide)
1 – Havana Harris (Gold Coast SUNS)
1 – Kate Hore (Melbourne)
1 – Lauren Wakfer (West Coast Eagles)
Who is most likely to take the Medibank AFLW Mark of the Year?
3 – Tahlia Randall (North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos)
2 – Courtney Hodder (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Amy Gaylor (Essendon)
1 – Ashleigh Richards (St Kilda)
1 – Bonnie Toogood (Essendon)
1 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Eloise Jones (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Jesse Wardlaw (St Kilda)
1 – Matilda Scholz (Port Adelaide)
1 – Meara Girvan (Gold Coast SUNS)
1 – Mim Strom (Fremantle)
1 – Paige Scott (Richmond)
1 – Sophie McKay (Carlton)
1 – Tayla Harris (Melbourne)
1 – Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans)
Who is most likely to kick the NAB AFLW Goal of the Year?
2 – Zarlie Goldsworthy (GWS GIANTS)
2 – Courtney Hodder (Brisbane Lions)
2 – Danielle Ponter (Adelaide Crows)
2 – Gemma Houghton (Port Adelaide)
1 – Caitlin Greiser (Richmond)
1 – Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans)
1 – Elaine Grigg (Western Bulldogs)
1 – Ella Roberts (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Erone Fitzpatrick (Carlton)
1 – Greta Bodey (Hawthorn)
1 – Kayla Dalgleish (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Nat Grider (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Taya Oliver (Gold Coast SUNS)
1 – Tyanna Smith (St Kilda)
Who will win the Telstra AFLW Rising Star?
(No captains predicted Port Adelaide’s Matilda Scholz to win the 2024 Telstra AFLW Rising Star)
6 – Ash Centra (Collingwood)
2 – Zippy Fish (Sydney Swans)
1 – Neasa Dooley (Brisbane Lions)
1 – Havana Harris (Gold Coast SUNS)
1 – Lucia Painter (West Coast Eagles)
1 – Kyla Forbes (St Kilda)
1 – India Rasheed (Adelaide Crows)
1 – Grace Belloni (Essendon)
1 – Emma McDonald (Western Bulldogs)
1 – Shineah Goody (Port Adelaide)
1 – Amelia Martin (Sydney Swans)
1 – Sara Howley (GWS GIANTS)
The survey was completed by:
Sarah Allan (Adelaide Crows)
Breanna Koenen (Brisbane Lions)
Abbie McKay (Carlton)
Ruby Schleicher (Collingwood)
Steph Cain (Essendon)
Ange Stannett (Fremantle)
Meghan McDonald (Geelong Cats)
Lucy Single (Gold Coast SUNS)
Rebecca Beeson (GWS GIANTS)
Emily Bates (Hawthorn)
Kate Hore (Melbourne)
Jasmine Garner (North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos)
Justine Mules-Robinson (Port Adelaide)
Katie Brennan (Richmond)
Hannah Priest (St Kilda)
Chloe Molloy (Sydney Swans)
Charlie Thomas (West Coast Eagles)
Deanna Berry (Western Bulldogs)
