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ESPN's AFL Predictions for 2021: Cats, Matt Rowell tipped for success

It's that time of year where we look into our crystal balls and attempt to predict the AFL season ahead. Who will win the premiership? Who takes home Charlie? What are our BIG calls of the year?

Our football experts have answered all of these questions, and many more, ahead of the 2021 home and away season.


Rohan Connolly

Premier: Richmond
Runner-up: Western Bulldogs
Biggest riser: Sydney
Biggest slider: Melbourne
Wooden Spoon: Adelaide
Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli
Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Zero
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Eddie Betts
BIG call for the year: Average scores per team exceed 90 points for the first time since 2013 as the game begins to open up again.

Jake Michaels

Premier: Geelong
Runner-up: Brisbane
Biggest riser: Sydney
Biggest slider: Collingwood
Wooden Spoon: Adelaide
Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield
Coleman Medal: Jeremy Cameron
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: One
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Lance Franklin
BIG call for the year: Andrew Brayshaw will make the All-Australian team.

Matt Walsh

Premier: Geelong
Runner-up: Brisbane
Biggest riser: Gold Coast
Biggest slider: Collingwood
Wooden Spoon: North Melbourne
Brownlow Medal: Jack Steele
Coleman Medal: Joe Dainher
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Two
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Lance Franklin
BIG call for the year: The AFL will wind back quarter lengths for 2022 after too many high-scoring games and quarters which have gone for 35 or more minutes.

Jarryd Barca

Premier: Richmond
Runner-up: Geelong
Biggest riser: Carlton
Biggest slider: Port Adelaide
Wooden Spoon: North Melbourne
Brownlow Medal: Nat Fyfe
Coleman Medal: Joe Daniher
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Three
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Shaun Burgoyne
BIG call for the year: For the first time in a decade, a team will score more than 200 points in a single game.

Jesse Robinson

Premier: Geelong
Runner-up: Brisbane
Biggest riser: Fremantle
Biggest slider: Collingwood
Wooden Spoon: North Melbourne
Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale
Coleman Medal: Charlie Dixon
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Two
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Shaun Burgoyne or Bachar Houli
BIG call for the year: More superstars demanding trades

Christian Joly (Champion Data)

Premier: Brisbane
Runner-up: Richmond
Biggest riser: Gold Coast
Biggest slider: GWS
Wooden Spoon: Adelaide
Brownlow Medal: Dustin Martin
Coleman Medal: Tom Lynch
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Two
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Lance Franklin
BIG call for the year: Matt Rowell to finish second in the Brownlow Medal

Chris Doerre

Premier: Geelong
Runner-up: Richmond
Biggest riser: Fremantle
Biggest slider: Collingwood
Wooden Spoon: North Melbourne
Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale
Coleman Medal: Tom Lynch
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Three
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Shaun Burgoyne
BIG call for the year: Tom Green (GWS) to become one of the competition's premier stoppage specialists.

Kane Pitman

Premier: Geelong
Runner-up: Brisbane
Biggest riser: Sydney
Biggest slider: Port Adelaide
Wooden Spoon: North Melbourne
Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli
Coleman Medal: Charlie Cameron
Rising Star: Matt Rowell
How many coaches will be sacked in 2021: Three
Biggest name to retire in 2021: Joel Selwood
BIG call for the year: Pressure on Melbourne and Collingwood intensified with both set to miss the eight due to lack of potency inside 50 limiting midfield dominance.


Results:

Premier: Geelong (5), Richmond (2), Brisbane (1)

Runner-up: Brisbane (4), Richmond (2), Geelong (1), Western Bulldogs (1)

Biggest riser: Sydney (3), Gold Coast (2), Fremantle (2), Carlton (1)

Biggest slider: Collingwood (4), Port Adelaide (2), GWS (1), Melbourne (1)

Wooden Spoon: North Melbourne (5), Adelaide (3)

Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli (2), Lachie Neale (2), Patrick Dangerfield (1), Dustin Martin (1), Nat Fyfe (1), Jack Steele (1)

Coleman Medal: Tom Lynch (2), Joe Daniher (2), Jeremy Cameron (1), Josh Kennedy (1), Charlie Dixon (1), Charlie Cameron (1)

Rising Star: Matt Rowell (8)