With the curtain closed on another wildly unpredictable year, we've asked our ESPN experts to pull out their crystal balls to predict the future. What does 2022 hold in store for these three upcomming men's football codes?
We take a look at some of the biggest questions. Who will win the feature competition? Who will be the winner of the major individual award? Read on and see whether you agree.
AFL
What will change from 2021?
Where to even begin?! Surely the term 'hub' has been retired for good after two years of fine service to the AFL and its teams. The federal government's promise of open borders is no doubt a welcome one for the league, which negotiated headache after headache in both 2020 and 2021 - logistically and otherwise.
What will remain constant?
The fixture will continue to be released in dribs and drabs - the AFL enjoys the flexibility of scheduling matches a few weeks out. Knowing the form teams before deciding on the prime time games is a no-brainer move that the host broadcaster will also push for - even if fans don't like it.
What will define the season?
A 'return to normal'. COVID normal, that is. Fixtures won't need to be moved or delayed, and teams will play all their home games at their home grounds. No talks of 'asterisk seasons', no wondering where the Grand Final will be played, and no limits on crowd numbers.
Who will win the AFL premiership?
It's hard enough to win one premiership, let alone two in a row. Could the Bulldogs - with another year under their belts - reverse the result from 2021 by winning the 2022 flag at the MCG?
Who will win the Brownlow Medal?
Carlton young gun Sam Walsh's trajectory is hard to ignore. The 21-year-old midfielder is already the Blues' best player, and averaged 30 touches and a goal every two games in 2021. What does 2022 hold? More attention at the centre bounce, probably, but he's good enough to improve his game again.
Who is in the firing line?
Stuart Dew is running out of time at the Suns. It seems harsh, but going into his fifth year, the Suns need to see some improvement - and quickly. Yes, the list is still young, but while this team remains uncompetitive (it hasn't finished above 14th during his tenure), the threat of a player exodus and repeating the same old cycle over and over again looms large.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
Is it finally time for Freo to return to the finals fold? Their build under Justin Longmuir has been incredibly impressive, and while the Adam Cerra departure was a shock, they secured draft pieces in return which were then used on local, homegrown talent. All four of their draft picks were WA boys, and they didn't reach. With natural improvement across a young list, and some exciting new players added to the fold, these Dockers are a side to watch. On the flip side, are the Cats on the way down? Each year we highlight the ageing list and surely Chris Scott's side is about to fall off the cliff. It's hard to see them finishing top three again and challenging for a flag with so many young and improving sides in the competition.
What will be the headline of the year?
No place like home! 100,000 pack out the MCG for the Grand Final
NRL
What will change from 2021?
Location, location, location. Fingers tightly crossed the NRL will be returned to the home fans in 2022. The 2021 Queensland relocation was born out of necessity with COVID-19 border restrictions and lockdowns sweeping the country, and fans have been crying out for a return to normality. Let's hope a full home and away season can be completed with the Grand Final returning to Sydney.
What will remain constant?
The ongoing fan frustration with the way the game is being adjudicated. Whining about the referee is as old as the game itself, but tweaks to the rules in recent years have given many long-serving fans reason to lament the disintegration of the game they knew and loved. With the better teams quick to exploit every tweak, it is a constant battle for the NRL to keep one step ahead. Many wish they would stop trying and simply return to the basic rules of the game, policed well.
What will define the season?
There has been a fair bit of player movement going on, with some desperately under-performing teams doing everything in their power to repair badly bruised club pride. How will former powerhouse clubs the Broncos and Bulldogs, winners of the past two wooden spoons, go in season 2022. Neither club can afford to remain out of the finals, their fans just won't accept the ongoing misery. Will there be a change in the order, have the Storm and Roosters moved beyond their windows - do they even have windows? Can the Panthers go back-to-back before losing even more player for 2023?
Who will win the NRL premiership?
The Panthers will start the year favourites to retain their trophy but we all know just how difficult that task is in the NRL. Their main threats will again be Melbourne Storm, an injury-free Roosters and the dark horse Cronulla Sharks. The Sharks will be very interesting; a new coach in Craig Fitzgibbon bringing with him some impressive signings headed by Storm pair Dale Finucane and Nicho Hynes. They might need a season to gel, but if Fitzgibbon can show his coaching chops, they could still be very dangerous in 2022.
Who will win the Dally M Medal?
It is almost impossible to predict that anyone will stop a fully fit Tom Trbojevic from going back-to-back for the Dally M Medal. He won it last year despite missing a significant chunk of the season through injury. He is such a brilliant individual contributor to anything good the Sea Eagles do that he usually grabs the three points.
Who is in the firing line?
The obvious coach under enormous pressure is Michael Maguire, not necessarily because he can't coach, but simply because he is in charge of the Tigers. Tim Sheens has returned on a white steed to oversee football operations at the club, but it is almost inevitable that any lack of improvement will be blamed on Maguire. Will Sheens pull the trigger on a club tradition that once claimed his own coaching scalp? Up the road at Belmore, things won't be overly comfortable for Bulldogs coach Trent Barrett either. He took the club backwards last season to the wooden spoon and enters 2022 with a much-improved roster, which he needs to shape into a competitive force. Any signs of the directionless rabble that took the field in blue and white last year and Bulldogs fans will be baying for Barrett's neck as board members shift uneasily in their leather seats.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
It will be a true test of Kevin Walters' coaching credentials, but if he gets it right, with Adam Reynolds leading the team on the field, the Broncos could play finals football again in 2022. They certainly have the resources, spent most of last season weeding out the miscreants and non-performers and look set to continue the improvement we saw towards the end of the 2021 season. I believe the Knights could be in for a slide down the premiership ladder from last season. They struggled at times last year with injuries and the loss of both Mitchell Pearce and Connor Watson this year leaves two big holes in their creative ranks. They have some exciting prospects coming through, but this year could be a bit of a transitional one, particularly if Kalyn Ponga struggles to carry their attack on his own. Any injuries to the Queensland fullback and the Knights could really struggle to score points. I fully expect the Rabbitohs to take a tumble down the ladder as well, with coach Wayne Bennett departing and halfback star Adam Reynolds off to Brisbane.
What will be the headline of the year?
NRL relents and scraps disastrous six-again rule
RUGBY
What will change from 2021?
Rugby Australia will draw a line in the sand on the Giteau Law. There is no doubting the tweaks to the Giteau Law made the Wallabies a better team, but it proved a double-edged sword when Quade Cooper and Samu Kerevi pulled out of the spring tour having originally been named among the travelling party. RA is edging closer to new guidelines around the eligibility of overseas-based players, with Wallabies coach Dave Rennie to have his thoughts heard before a final framework is settled. The days of the COVID-enforced policy-on-the-run are over, although the pandemic has forced a rethink on what is a difficult balancing act.
What will remain constant?
Australian teams will continue to struggle against Kiwi Super opposition. RA and their NZR counterparts will soon have a revised draw for Super Rugby Pacific after the New Zealand Government delayed international quarantine-free travel until at least April. It is an exciting new era for provincial rugby in this part of the world, but it's hard to see the Australian franchises having too much more success than they had against their trans-Tasman foes in 2021. Only the Reds and Brumbies managed a win over Kiwi opposition, with the overall 2-23 record a severe wake-up call for the Australian sides after two iterations of Super Rugby AU. While it's reasonable to think they will improve upon that collective stat, the trans-Tasman curve won't be shooting up from an Australian perspective.
What will define the season?
England's visit to Australia. Normally it would be the Bledisloe Cup, and the Wallabies' almost two-decade long quest to return the trophy to Australia, but the visit of Eddie Jones and his No. 3 ranked team for three Tests in July takes centre stage this year for two reasons. Firstly, it falls ahead of the Rugby Championship and therefore can either set the Wallabies on the right or wrong course for the year and, secondly, the Wallabies are winless against England since 2015, losing eight straight Tests. A win over the Auld Enemy would be a huge confidence boost - a series win even more so - though that could largely depend on what shape the Giteau Law finally takes and which overseas players are made available as a result.
Who will win Super Rugby Pacific?
The Blues. The easy option would be to say the Crusaders will continue their Super Rugby dominance of the past five years. But buoyed by their Trans-Tasman title in 2021, the return of Beauden Barrett from sabbatical, arrival of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and their All Blacks-laden back-row, the Blues will be the inaugural Super Rugby Pacific champions.
Who will win the John Eales Medal?
Taniela Tupou. Again, the easy option would be to declare Michael Hooper the 2022 John Eales Medallist. Given his form in 2021, when he was one of four nominees for World Rugby's Player of the Year, that is the safe bet. But why not be a little adventurous? We've had enough of playing it safe lately. With that in mind, 2022 will be the year when Tupou is finally handed the starting tighthead prop position at the Wallabies on a more regular basis and therefore has more of an opportunity to push for points in the 3-2-1 playing voting process.
Who is in the firing line?
Ian Foster. It seems unthinkable, right? Could Foster really be sacked? If the All Blacks were to lose a home series to Ireland, or, heaven forbid, forfeit the Bledisloe for the first time in 19 years, Foster would be under significant pressure to hold his job. A far more likely scenario, however, is that the All Blacks sweep Ireland 3-0, and then win both the Bledisloe and Rugby Championship, seemingly putting them on the right path for the World Cup. It may seem treasonous, but there will be those in NZ quietly cheering the Irish, Wallabies and Springboks can inflict further defeats on Foster's record so that Scott Robertson can be inserted before the World Cup. Well, at least those folk in Crusaders country, anyway.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
Waratahs and Highlanders. This isn't an easy one to address given the shifting tournament structures and general COVID uncertainty. However, with the return of Michael Hooper and arrival of new coach Darren Coleman, the Waratahs certainly won't go winless in 2022. They will at last reap the benefits of having to blood so many youngsters last season while their Wallabies contingent of Izzy Perese, Angus Bell and Jake Gordon will lead from the front. Across the ditch, this might be the year the Highlanders struggle. That prediction may be a little foolhardy given they have played above the expectation their roster presents, but they just don't seem like a team that can go the distance over a 14-week regular season; their appearance in the stop-gap Trans-Tasman tournament finale only required four victories over Aussie opposition.
What will be the headline of the year?
Wallabies defy England for 2-1 series triumph