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AFLW Season 9 predictions: Who wins the flag, biggest riser, best and fairest, and more

With just days until the AFLW Season 9 opener, it's time we look into our crystal balls and attempt to predict the season ahead.

Who will win the premiership? What are our BIG calls of the year?

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


Sarah Burt

Premier: North Melbourne

Runner-up: Adelaide Crows

Biggest riser: Sydney Swans

Biggest slider: Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: Hawthorn

Best & Fairest: Jas Garner

Leading Goalkicker: Kate Hore

Rising Star: Kaitlyn Srhoj

BIG call for the year: West Coast Eagles will play finals footy

Isadora McLeay

Premier: North Melbourne

Runner-up: Geelong

Biggest riser: Port Adelaide

Biggest slider: Melbourne

Wooden Spoon: West Coast

Best & Fairest: Jas Garner

Leading Goalkicker: Ash Saint

Rising Star: Elaine Grigg

BIG call for the year: Ball tracking will be the best thing to happen to the game; there will no longer be questionable goals or behinds that can dictate an outcome, helping the competition become more professional -- and fair!

Marissa Lordanic

Premier: North Melbourne

Runner-up: Adelaide Crows

Biggest riser: Richmond

Biggest slider: Gold Coast

Wooden Spoon: GWS

Best & Fairest: Jas Garner

Leading Goalkicker: Tahlia Randall

Rising Star: Shineah Goody

BIG call for the year: Like Leonardo DiCaprio finally winning an Oscar back in 2016, this will be the year that Jas Garner finally wins the best and fairest.

Jarryd Barca

Premier: North Melbourne

Runner-up: Adelaide Crows

Biggest riser: Richmond

Biggest slider: Gold Coast

Wooden Spoon: West Coast

Best & Fairest: Jas Garner

Leading Goalkicker: Ash Saint

Rising Star: Shineah Goody

BIG call for the year: Scoring will be up across the board; someone will kick 30-plus for the season, and the highest score on record will be broken.

Matt Walsh

Premier: North Melbourne

Runner-up: Sydney

Biggest riser: Sydney

Biggest slider: Adelaide

Wooden Spoon: West Coast

Best & Fairest: Jas Garner (finally!)

Leading Goalkicker: Kate Hore

Rising Star: Shineah Goody

BIG call for the year: Finally, an expansion team wins the flag!

Jesse Robinson

Premier: Brisbane

Runner-up: North Melbourne

Biggest riser: Collingwood

Biggest slider: St Kilda

Wooden Spoon: Western Bulldogs

Best & Fairest: Mon Conti

Leading Goalkicker: Ash Saint

Rising Star: Shineah Goody

BIG call for the year: I said it last year, but I'm doubling down. The goal kicking record of 25 in a season will be broken easily this year.


Results:

Premier: North Melbourne (5), Brisbane (1)

Runner-up: Adelaide (3), North Melbourne (1), Sydney (1), Geelong (1)

Biggest riser: Sydney (2), Richmond (2), Collingwood (1), Port Adelaide (1)

Biggest slider: Melbourne (2), Gold Coast (2), St Kilda (1), Adelaide (1)

Wooden Spoon: West Coast (3), Western Bulldogs (1), GWS (1), Hawthorn (1)

Best & Fairest winner: Jasmine Garner (5), Mon Conti (1)

Leading Goalkicker: Ash Saint (3), Kate Hore (2), Tahlia Randall (1)

Rising Star: Shineah Goody (4), Kaitlyn Srhoj (1), Elaine Grigg (1)