With the curtain closing on another year, we've asked our ESPN experts to pull out their crystal balls to predict the future. What does 2024 hold in store for these sporting 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.
Aussie Rules
What will change from 2023?
In what already appears to be a move welcomed by footy fans around the country, season 2024 will feature a near permanent Thursday night slot. The league has already released its fixture up until Round 15, with only two rounds failing to incorporate a Thursday night match-up, and one can assume it's only because they are shortened bye weeks. This will prove to be a great move by the AFL.
What will remain constant?
West Coast being the laughing stock of the competition. Yes, the Eagles managed to land 18-year-old stud Harley Reid with the No. 1 pick of last month's draft, but the overall talent on the list continues to be as thin as ever. Meanwhile, fellow cellar dwellers, North Melbourne and Hawthorn, appear to have taken significant strides forward this off-season. You'd be stunned if West Coast won more than five games next season and even more surprised if they don't collect another unwanted wooden spoon.
What will define the season?
Higher scoring is set to return! Expect scoring to rise across both the men's and women's competitions in 2024, something which will have Aussie Rules traditionalists rejoicing. Scoring has been trending upwards gradually over the last few years, but expect a noticeable jump next season as accuracy finally improves.
Who will win the premiership?
AFL - It's Brisbane's time, isn't it? Chris Fagan's side came oh so close in 2023, and if not for a dubious advantage call in the dying moments of the Grand Final, could very easily have hoisted the premiership cup. The Lions bolstered their defensive stocks with the addition of Tom Doedee and will welcome back supremely talented youngster Will Ashcroft to the midfield. Another monster campaign is on the cards for this Brisbane squad.
AFLW - To many people's surprise, 2022 premiers Melbourne failed to make the Grand Final this year and were in fact eliminated from the finals series with two consecutive defeats. But that's only a lesson for a group that should yet again be contending in 2024. The Dees possess so much talent in the forward line -- Eden Zanker and Kate Hore combined for 40 goals in Season 8, while Alyssa Bannan showed flashes of her brilliance with 13 majors -- and their midfield, led by All-Australian ruck Lauren Pearce and Tyla Hanks and Paxy Paxman, has plenty of weapons. They'll use the hurt from this year's campaign to lift next season's cup.
Who will win the major individual award?
AFL - Had he not missed the final three games of this past season through injury, you can be certain Nick Daicos would have won the Brownlow Medal, in his second season, no less. Another pre-season under his belt and a full campaign playing as a permanent midfielder (we know how important that is!) will give the Collingwood maestro a great chance of winning his first 'Charlie' in 2024.
AFLW - Geelong's spread of votes in this year's count is a great reflection of a brilliant season which culminated in a preliminary final berth. There's no reason the Cats won't improve next season and, after polling 14 votes in Season 8 and 15 votes in Season 7, for young gun Georgie Prespakis to not take further strides. The 20-year-old averaged 24.2 disposals, 7.2 tackles, and 6.6 clearances this year, and her style of play clearly gets noticed by the umpires. In 2024, it's her medal.
Who is in the firing line?
The heat came off Ken Hinkley after Port Adelaide's stunning mid-season run which saw them win 13 straight games, but all of that goodwill will quickly come undone if his side splutters early in 2024. Elsewhere, keep an eye on the Dockers and Justin Longmuir. Set to enter his fifth season as Fremantle coach, Longmuir hasn't been able to extract much improvement out of this squad, and few would be surprised to see his tenure come to a close if they miss finals once again.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
AFL - All signs are pointing towards a big year for the Hawks. The young and extremely talented midfield of Jai Newcombe, Will Day, James Worpel and Connor Nash impressed enormously last season, they then recruited well and have already proven they can mix it with the best in the league. Remember, they beat both Collingwood and Brisbane last season. On the flip side, it's difficult to see St Kilda repeating a top six finish next season. Just three of their 13 wins in this previous campaign came against top eight sides, the fixture will now be significantly tougher and other clubs around their mark have drastically improved their list.
AFLW - Six wins this season after a winless entry into the AFLW? What a season for Sydney, who will continue to take strides in 2024. The Swans now have crucial finals experience, and players such as Laura Gardiner, Chloe Molloy, Ally Morphett, Rebecca Privitelli, and Lucy McEvoy lay a brilliant foundation for even more improvement. As for a slider? It seems a bit silly to name a 2023 grand finalist, but are the perennially-strong Lions set for a drift? They may have beaten their fellow top four teams throughout this season, but they also lost games to bottom 10 teams, Collingwood, Richmond, and St Kilda. They also conceded 339 points in the home-and-away season, which is only 12 and 15 points fewer than elimination final losers, Gold Coast and Essendon, respectively.
What will be the headline of the year?
Richmond legend Dustin Martin to team up with Damien Hardwick on the Gold Coast.
Rugby League
What will change from 2023?
Hopefully the referees and those that guide them will have seen the performance of Grant Atkins in last year's Grand Final and taken note. The fans don't want to see a game that is over-officiated and determined on the whim of the match officials. With the NRL looking to showcase its product to the world, with the opening two games in Las Vegas, lets hope everyone is left talking about the athleticism, skill and toughness of the players, not scratching their heads trying to work out why the guy with the whistle insisted on stealing the show.
What will remain constant?
Blow-out scores if the referee awards too many set restarts to dominant teams. I say it every year, the six again calls are killing the ability of lesser teams to muscle up and hold on for dear life against the better teams. When you keep awarding more tackles for minor infringements, you might as well award a try to the attacking side and call the game over, because the struggling team is drained of the energy needed to mount any kind of response. Hopefully the referees will be a bit more circumspect when making these match-altering calls.
What will define the season?
The rise of the lesser Queensland teams with the Titans under Des Hasler and a strengthened Dolphins team under Wayne Bennett. They will join the Broncos, as well as the unpredictable Cowboys, in causing plenty of headaches for the non-Queensland teams. Of course, such strength at club level will add to Queensland's chances of retaining the State of Origin shield as well.
Who will win the premiership?
Men's: Surely not the Panthers again? Penrith have been brilliant during their three-year reign, but the loss of key players must take its toll eventually. There must be another club capable of studying their strengths and weaknesses and overcome them? The Broncos were only a few good late defensive efforts away from winning the premiership last season, and they will be primed to go one better next year, with the Panthers, Warriors and Roosters being the main threats.
Women's: The Knights were very impressive in taking out the 2023 premiership with Tamika Upton leading their fightback against the Titans, who surprised many by making the grand final. The Broncos are always going to be a serious threat, but I think the most disappointed team from last year would have been the Roosters. They have built a very solid roster sprinkled with some superstars of the game and will be looking to finish the 2024 season with a lap of honour.
Who will win the major individual award?
Dally M Medal Men: It is hard to look past Nathan Cleary for the men's Dally M Medal in 2024. If he can have a largely injury-free season, lead the Panthers to the finals again, he should pick up enough points to win the one accolade that has so far eluded him during his brilliant career.
Dally M Medal Women: Newcastle's Tamika Upton was so dominant in 2023 that it is hard to see anyone going past her in 2024 for the women's Dally M Medal. Still, rugby league is a tough game, with injury always threatening to throw a spanner in the works, and a long list of up-and-coming talent looking to knock Upton off the podium.
Who is in the firing line?
Cameron Ciraldo joined the Bulldogs with many suggesting he was the most promising new head coach in a long time. The Bulldogs, under the guidance of Phil Gould, have been throwing money at players to rebuild the club, hoping to find an acceptable level of competitiveness. Last year the club was worse than the years prior to Ciraldo's arrival, with a stuttering attack and a completely heartless defence. The Bulldogs have gone through another extensive offseason cleanout and recruitment drive. If their fans can't at the very least see some improvement early in the season, the torches and pitch forks will come out for Ciraldo and possibly Gould as well.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
Anyone hoping that the Bulldogs rebuild will finally result in a rapid rise up the ladder this season could be in for more disappointment, instead look for the Gold Coast Titans, under proven veteran coach Des Hasler, to jump from their 14th place finish to threaten or even sneak into the finals in 2024.
The Canberra Raiders snuck into the finals last season, but not before showing some worrying signs, with coach Ricky Stuart's ongoing effectiveness in question. They move into 2024 having lost two stalwarts of their backline in Jack Wighton and Jarrod Croker, who admittedly wasn't a big part of Stuart's plans last season. With not much recruitment during the offseason, they could be set for slide down the ladder.
What will be the headline of the year?
Bennett leads Dolphins to first finals appearance
Rugby
What will change from 2023?
After a disastrous 2023, hopefully, for Australian rugby, the only way is up. Sacking Wallabies coach Eddie Jones just 10 months after bringing him into the role and with a 2-7 record for the year, the Wallabies will be welcoming in a third coach in three years as they look to bounce back ahead of the highly anticipated British & Irish Lions tour in 2025.
What will remain constant?
With just six wins against New Zealand opponents in Super Rugby Pacific last year, and a 2-0 sweep to the All Blacks in the Bledisloe, don't expect the Aussie Super Rugby sides or the Wallabies to find much success against the Kiwis in 2024. Keep the Bledisloe in the cabinet, NZR, it won't be coming back to Australia.
What will define the season?
Bouncing back from a horror 2023 campaign, the Wallabies, under a new coach, will secure back-to-back wins over Wales and find some success in the Rugby Championship, but the return of the Bledisloe Cup will continue to elude them. Meanwhile, the Aussie women's sevens team will turn golden once again after claiming the Olympic 7s gold medal in Paris, and former Wallabies captain Michael Hooper will make his mark in the Aussie men's sevens team.
Who will win the Super Rugby/Olympic 7s gold?
Stumbling at the last hurdle against the Crusaders in the final last year, expect the Chiefs get it done in 2024 despite a few personnel changes. While Sam Cane, Brodie Retallick and Brad Weber have departed, the Chiefs remain a solid squad with plenty of Test experience that should get their hands on the trophy for the first time since 2013.
The Australian women's sevens team will continue their success from 2023 and defeat New Zealand to claim their second Olympic gold medal in eight years, while South Africa men will break Fiji hearts and claim their first Olympic gold medal.
Who will win the major individual awards?
Continuing on from a strong 2023 campaign, Wallabies prop Angus Bell will claim the John Eales Medal, while Maya Stewart will be crowned Wallaroos player of the year. Charlotte Caslick will continue her sevens dominance and win the women's sevens player of the year award, while Dietrich Roache will claim the men's sevens award. Bouncing back from a horror injury run Taniela Tupou will return to top form and claim his second Australian Super Rugby Pacific player of the year award, and Ash Marsters will continue her impressive form in 2024 to take the Super W player of the year title.
Who is in the firing line?
Taking over the Waratahs coaching position in 2022, Darren Coleman has failed to find the success expected of his side in 2023, including a humiliating home loss to Moana Pasifika to finish off the regular season, before they were humbled by the Blues in Auckland in Michael Hooper's final game in the sky blue. While injuries hampered his side in 2023, anything less than a semifinal berth for his side in 2024 will be disastrous for Coleman who needs his side to hit the ground running despite two tough season openers against the Reds in Queensland and Crusaders in Christchurch.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
Always in the contest last year but failing to get the wins on the board, the Melbourne Rebels enter season 2024 with their most impressive squad yet, including the signing of Taniela Tupou from the Reds. With a strong fixtures list that will see them play just two New Zealand sides in New Zealand, expect the Rebels to climb up the ladder before booking their first ever play-off spot. For the Crusaders after winning their fifth title in five years, it won't be smooth sailing in 2024. With a new coach in Rob Penney and plenty of talent moving on, including flyhalf Richie Mo'unga, it's likely to be a season of growing pains for the franchise in Christchurch. Don't expect them to fall far though, they are the Crusaders after all!
What will be the headline of the year?
Aussie 7s girls golden again after defeating New Zealand to win gold at Paris Olympics
Football
What will change from 2023?
A-League Men - The premier and champion. We're only a third of the way into the campaign, but already Melbourne City's three-year, dynastic stint atop the league is teetering on the brink and it appears the Central Coast Mariners fairytale title won't be getting a sequel. The Mariners spent much of the early season at the foot of the table as they attempted to adjust to life without the likes of Jason Cummings, Sammy Silvera, and Nectarios Triantis on the park and without the presence of Nick Montgomery, now at Hibernian, in the dugout. Indeed, short of a miraculous turnaround, it certainly looks like the driving force that defined the Mariners' culture and magnificent run to a title last season has now relocated to Edinburgh.
A-League Women - Crowds are already on the up, with several clubs hitting attendance records, and that trend will continue throughout the season as the glow of the Women's World Cup continues to be felt.
What will remain constant?
Uncertainty around A-League Men expansion and ownership. As we near the close of 2023, we know that Auckland will enter a team in the A-League Men under the ownership of American billionaire Bill Foley in 2024-25, but we're still yet to find out if Canberra will find themselves a backer in time to join them as per the Australian Professional Leagues' (APL) plan.
Additionally, league administrators have stated their ambition to add a further two new franchises in undetermined markets for the 2025/26 campaign, which may prove difficult if they can't even tee up an owner for a Canberran market that was deemed as one of the two most attractive expansion destinations.
One of the A-League Women's most endearing qualities is its chaos. No matter the number of teams or the number of games, a crazy scoreline or a ridiculous goal is a given.
What will define the seasons?
Which A-League Men team can put together a sustained run of form at just the right time. There's been no true standout across the A-League Men across its opening weeks, with the most distinctive demarcation thus far coming between those who are likely to play finals football and those who aren't. There's a good chance that the premiers come to the end of the season will be the side that maintains the highest floor on their week-in-and-week-out performances throughout the campaign before being able to string together a series of wins at just the right moment to end the year atop the table.
The move to a full home and away season for the A-League Women will show its value time and time again over the course of this season. Teams will actually have the chance to build into the campaign and players and fans alike will benefit from the opportunity to enjoy more football.
Who will win the premierships?
A-League Men: Western Sydney Wanderers. That high-floor requirement previously mentioned fits a side like the Wanderers, who, Bruno Fornaroli masterclasses aside, can generally be relied upon to be organisationally stout and difficult to beat under Marko Rudan.
A-League Women: With two thirds of the season to go, the race is more than wide open. Perth Glory and Wellington Phoenix have been the early pacesetters, playing gorgeous football to boot. However, you can never rule out perennial threats Sydney FC, Melbourne City, and Melbourne Victory. That being said, there's something about Perth this season...
Who will win the major individual award?
Johnny Warren Medal: Ulises Dávila (Macarthur).
Julie Dolan Medal: The race for the Julie Dolan Medal is wide open after the early shouts for best player in the league, Holly McNamara and Vesna Milivojevic, have both been struck down by injury. If Milivojevic's injury isn't as bad a first feared, she is in prime position, otherwise Perth Glory's Millie Farrow could be in line.
Who is in the firing line?
A-League Men: Every single coach. We've already seen Vidošić and Steve Corica sacked this season. Those two early moves by City and Sydney have, in a way, set the tone for the rest of the league as well as removed the first-mover disincentive from the equation.
A-League Women: Adelaide United have yet to record a win this season and end their year with some tricky tests. If they can't find three points soon, change might be afoot.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
A-League Men Riser: Macarthur FC. Looking well-organised under Mile Sterjovski and possessing enough difference makers in the form of Dávila, Valère Germain, and Raphael Borges Rodrigues to win games, the Bulls are another side that looks to have one of those relatively high floors this season and a year on from finishing bottom should play finals.
A-League Men Slider: Melbourne City. Given the standards that City's consistent excellence has set for them in previous years, anything less than silverware represents a major disappointment. Even if that's obfuscated right now by a nagging sense that they'll need to bring up their level and consistency to ensure that they're in no danger of missing the six.
A-League Women: The Wellington Phoenix finished last in 2022-23 so the only way is up for them but their top four start to the current season is perhaps a bigger rise than any of us expected. Western United on the other hand shocked many with the excellence of their first season. While they'll still be in finals conversation, I think they'll fall back to the pack.
What will be the headline of the year?
Red Bull revealed as preferred bidder for new A-League licence on the Gold Coast.
Cricket
What will change from 2023?
The opening pair in the Australia men's Test team. David Warner will retire from Test cricket in early January and it is the major talking about who replaces him. Will it be a specialist opener or will we see a reshuffle of the batting order? However it plays out, it will mark the first part of a changing of the guard that will happen to the men's side over the coming years and it will be a fascinating period of transition.
What will remain constant?
Some people will still find a way to criticise Pat Cummins for having views on issues away from cricket.
What will define the season?
Australia's men: Two things: the T20 World Cup in June where they could become the first team to hold all three major ICC prizes (Test Championship, ODI and T20) at the same time. Then, even though it will edge into early 2025, how they perform against India at home next summer.
Australia's women: It's about maintaining their World Cup pedigree when they defend the T20 title in Bangladesh in September. The women's T20 game is becoming more competitive than ever, so even though they will likely start favourites it shapes as a significant challenge.
Who will win the Men's ODI World Cup and Women's T20 World Cup?
Men's: India
Women's: Australia
Who will win the major individual awards?
The Allan Border and Belinda Clark Medals are announced early in the year for the preceding 12 months: Travis Head and Beth Mooney.
Who is in the firing line?
As dull as it sounds, there isn't a standout candidate, although you are never far away from someone being under pressure. Steven Smith's position in Australia's T20 plans will be interesting to follow.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
Biggest riser: Cameron Green. He will get his place back in the Test side and show what a high-quality batter he is.
Biggest slider: Marcus Harris. Having long been the reserve batter in the Test squad, and despite holding a central contract, he won't be called up as Warner's replacement.
What will be the headline of the year?
Australia-India Test series set for epic decider after Kohli's magnificent century
Netball
What will change from 2023?
While the pay dispute between Netball Australia and the players' association took up headlines for much of the year, one of the biggest stories in 2023 was Collingwood's decision to leave Super Netball, opening the door for a new club in the Melbourne's Mavericks. Taking over the competition's eighth license, the club will no doubt shake up the competition and will be hoping to make a bigger mark on the tournament than their predecessors who failed to reach the grand final despite the hype.
What will remain constant?
Winning their 12th World Cup title in July, the Diamonds will continue their international dominance and will retain every trophy they currently hold in their cabinet including the Constellation Cup and Quad Series. The depth within the Australian squad is something to behold.
What will define the season?
The Mavericks entrance into Super Netball and their immediate success under Tracey Neville will have tongues wagging.
Who will win the premiership?
Bouncing back from 2023 heartache, the NSW Swifts will climb back to the top and claim their third title in six years.
Who is in the firing line?
Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan will be feeling plenty of pressure heading into 2024 after she bungled pay negotiations with the Players' Association for months. There's no doubt Ryan's head will be on the chopping block if she fails to find new sponsors and rectify the sport's horror debt situation.
Who will be the biggest riser and slider of the year?
After claiming the 2023 Super Netball title, the Adelaide Thunderbirds will take a massive plummet down the ladder after three of their shooters departing the club over the off season. Meanwhile, the Mavericks will rise high with Eleanor Cardwell leading the team from the shooting end.
What will be the headline of the year?
Mavericks shock Super Netball with charge at the finals