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The New Daily’s 2016 AFL crystal ball: Eagles soar

If you’re a West Coast fan, don’t book your holidays in September and October.

That’s the message from The New Daily’s 2016 AFL crystal ball, in which all participants selected the Eagles to make the top four and 80 per cent tipped them to feature in the grand final.

The New Daily’s football experts – including Denis Pagan and Campbell Brown – sat down over the past week to answer 10 questions on the upcoming season.

Denis Pagan: Worsfold and Bolton should be wary of Chinese whispers
This is the key ingredient West Coast need to win the premiership
Why you shouldn’t be fooled by the Geelong hype

West Coast were tipped to win the flag by six of 10 pundits, with two opting for their cross-town rivals Fremantle.

Expect to see plenty of this in 2016. Photo: Getty

Expect to see plenty of this in 2016. Photo: Getty

Only journalist Angela Pippos selected Hawthorn – winners of the last three grand finals – to make it four in a row, while Editorial Director Bruce Guthrie thinks the acquisition of Patrick Dangerfield make the Cats the team to beat.

Like Brisbane, Hawthorn’s bid for a historic four-peat might end in grand final defeat, with five of the experts still picking Alastair Clarkson’s men to reach the season decider.

Their slide won’t be drastic, though, with all of our tipsters picking the Hawks to make the top eight.

West Coast were the only other side to be picked by everyone to feature in the eight, but confidence is high in Fremantle and Geelong (both nine selections).

Port Adelaide, Richmond and Sydney were picked by seven experts.

Essendon are an overwhelming favourite to win the wooden spoon, as expected, and 90 per cent of the panel tipped them to win between zero and four matches.

Other favoured selections were West Coast forward Josh Kennedy to win the Coleman Medal, Patrick Dangerfield to claim the Brownlow Medal, Clayton Oliver to scoop the Rising Star Award and Andrew Gaff to be crowned winner of the Norm Smith Medal.

The Eagles’ Adam Simpson was a resounding choice for Coach of the Year.

See the full selections below:

Denis-Pagan
Two-time premiership-winning coach and The New Daily football columnist

Premiers: Fremantle (on the proviso they play fast football!)
Runners-Up: West Coast
Top 8: West Coast, Fremantle, Geelong, Adelaide, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood
Wooden Spoon: Carlton
Brownlow Medal: Nat Fyfe
Norm Smith Medal: Nat Fyfe
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Jacob Weitering (Carlton)
Coach of the Year: Don Pyke
Number of Essendon wins: 4

Campbell-Brown
Premiership-winning player and The New Daily football columnist

Premiers: West Coast
Runners-Up: Hawthorn
Top 8: West Coast, Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Geelong, Collingwood, North Melbourne
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Brownlow Medal: Gary Ablett
Norm Smith Medal: Andrew Gaff
Coleman Medal: Tom Hawkins
Rising Star Award: Callum Mills (Sydney)
Coach of the Year: Alastair Clarkson
Number of Essendon wins: 0

Angela-Pippos
Journalist, presenter, author and The New Daily football columnist

Premiers: I’m tipping Hawthorn (with all the enthusiasm of a vegan at a Mongolian BBQ).
Runners-Up: Geelong (topped up and Danger-ous).
Top 8: Hawthorn, Geelong, Port Adelaide, West Coast, Adelaide, North Melbourne, Collingwood, Fremantle
Wooden Spoon: Essendon or Carlton. (It’s a win-win).
Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield (I’m cool with that. Really, I am. No, seriously, I am).
Norm Smith Medal: Cyril Rioli
Coleman Medal: Taylor Walker (I have to include at least one Crow and this seems like a good spot to do it. Go Tex!)
Rising Star Award: Caleb Daniel (Western Bulldogs)
Coach of the Year: Ken Hinkley
Number of Essendon wins: 3

Bruce-Guthrie
Editorial Director of The New Daily and Bombers tragic

Premiers: Geelong
Runners-Up: West Coast
Top 8: Geelong, West Coast, Hawthorn, Richmond, Fremantle, Collingwood, Western Bulldogs, North Melbourne
Wooden Spoon: Carlton
Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield
Norm Smith Medal: Patrick Dangerfield
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Darcy Parish (Essendon)
Coach of the Year: John Worsfold
Number of Essendon wins: 6

Thomas-Hunter
Editor of The New Daily and impatient Carlton supporter

Premiers: West Coast
Runners-Up: Hawthorn
Top 8: West Coast, Hawthorn, Geelong, Richmond, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Collingwood, Sydney
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Brownlow Medal: Daniel Hannebery
Norm Smith Medal: Andrew Gaff
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Callum Mills (Sydney)
Coach of the Year: Adam Simpson
Number of Essendon wins: 3 (two fewer than Carlton)


Greig-Johnston

Senior Writer at The New Daily and rabid Pat McGinnity fan

Premiers: Fremantle
Runners-Up: Hawthorn
Top 8: Hawthorn, West Coast, Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Richmond, North Melbourne, Sydney, Geelong
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Brownlow Medal: Andrew Gaff
Norm Smith Medal: Michael Walters
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Darcy Parish (Essendon)
Coach of the Year: Ross Lyon
Number of Essendon wins: 2

James-Willoughby
Sports Editor at The New Daily and happy Hawk

Premiers: West Coast
Runners-Up: Fremantle
Top 8: West Coast, Fremantle, Sydney, Hawthorn, Richmond, Geelong, Port Adelaide, Collingwood
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Brownlow Medal: Sam Mitchell
Norm Smith Medal: Jeremy McGovern
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
Coach of the Year: Adam Simpson
Number of Essendon wins: 1

Kaitlin-Thals
Homepage Editor at The New Daily and always hopeful Melbourne fan

Premiers: West Coast
Runners-Up: Hawthorn
Top 8: West Coast, Hawthorn, Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney, Port Adelaide, Western Bulldogs, Richmond
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Brownlow Medal: Sam Mitchell
Norm Smith Medal: Andrew Gaff
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
Coach of the Year: Adam Simpson
Number of Essendon wins: 2

Brandon-Cohen
PM News Editor at The New Daily and owner of a framed Paul Puopolo photo that sits on his desk

Premiers: West Coast
Runners-Up: Fremantle
Top 8: West Coast, Fremantle, Hawthorn, Port Adelaide, North Melbourne, Richmond, Western Bulldogs, Sydney
Wooden Spoon: Essendon
Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield
Norm Smith Medal: Nic Naitanui
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star Award: Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
Coach of the Year: Adam Simpson
Number of Essendon wins: 3

footy-prophet
Footy and fantasy analysis unravelled and The New Daily content partner

Premiers: West Coast
Runners-Up: Fremantle
Top 8: Fremantle, West Coast, Richmond, Western Bulldogs, Hawthorn, Geelong, Sydney, Greater Western Sydney
Wooden Spoon: Brisbane
Brownlow Medal: Daniel Hannebery
Norm Smith Medal: Luke Shuey
Coleman Medal: Jesse Hogan
Rising Star Award: Jack Steele (Greater Western Sydney)
Coach of the Year: Adam Simpson
Number of Essendon wins: 4

In summary:

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