Ahead of the new AFL season, the opinions of the 17 club captains - who were polled anonymously today by the league - can be summarised by the following nine points:

1. Collingwood is a certainty to make the finals, while 14 rival captains view them as the opposition team most likely to reach the Grand Final. (Which leaves two captains unconvinced about the Pies' chances of going back-to-back.)

2. The top five teams are head and shoulders above the rest and they are: Collingwood (16 votes for the top eight), St Kilda (15), Western Bulldogs (15), Geelong (15) and Hawthorn (14). (Sydney is sixth most popular choice with 10 votes.) 

3. More than half the captains think Adelaide will be the season bolter and make the finals. The Crows scored 9 votes, as did Fremantle and Carlton and those three teams are expected to fight out over the last two positions in the eight.

4. Essendon's NAB Cup form obviously impressed a few skippers. Five of them think the Bombers will make the finals.

5. Less good news for North Melbourne, which some media pundits think are strong chance to sneak into the eight. Only one of the 16 captains, however, shared that view. (Still, that was one more vote than Brisbane, Gold Coast, Port Adelaide, Richmond and Melbourne received.)

6. Melbourne fans might be consoled by the captains' opinion of their resident excitement machine, Liam Jurrah. He was favoured to win both the Mark of the Year and Goal of the Year. (The Bulldogs' Zephaniah Skinner made a surprise appearance in the MOTY category.)

7. Gold Coast Suns' No.1 draft pick David Swallow was an overwhelming favourite to win the NAB Rising Star award for best first-year player.

8. Lance Franklin was a clear favourite to repeat his 2008 heroics and win the Coleman Medal as leading goalkicker.

9. And the three best players in the league - according to the 17 men who ought to know - are Luke Hodge, Dane Swan and Joel Selwood. They each received three nominations as the likely Brownlow Medallist.

And that just about sums it up: the season in preview.

The full voting from the league's annual poll of its club captains was:

Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight? (17 times seven selections)

Collingwood (16), St Kilda (15), Western Bulldogs (15), Geelong Cats (15), Hawthorn (14), Sydney Swans (10), Adelaide Crows (nine), Fremantle (nine), Carlton (nine), Essendon (five), West Coast (one), North Melbourne (one), Brisbane Lions (nil), Gold Coast Suns (nil), Port Adelaide (nil), Richmond (nil), Melbourne (nil).

Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final?

Collingwood (14), Hawthorn (two), Western Bulldogs (one).

Who do you think will win the 2011 Brownlow Medal?

Luke Hodge, Hawthorn (three), Joel Selwood, Geelong Cats (three), Dane Swan, Collingwood (three), Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood (two), Matthew Boyd, Western Bulldogs (one), Adam Goodes, Sydney Swans (one), Chris Judd, Carlton (one), Marc Murphy, Carlton (one), Jack Riewoldt, Richmond (one), Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle (one).

Who do you think will win the 2011 Coleman Medal?

Lance Franklin, Hawthorn (10), Barry Hall, Western Bulldogs (three), Jack Riewoldt, Richmond (two), Mark LeCras, West Coast (one), Drew Petrie, North Melbourne (one).

Who do you think will win the 2011 NAB AFL Rising Star?

David Swallow, Gold Coast Suns (13), Shaun Atley, North Melbourne (one), Harley Bennell, Gold Coast Suns (one), Reece Conca, Richmond (one), Dyson Heppell, Essendon (one).

Who do you think will take Mark of the Year?

Liam Jurrah, Melbourne (six), Jack Riewoldt, Richmond (three), Paddy Ryder, Essendon (two), Luke McPharlin, Fremantle (one), Nick Maxwell, Collingwood (one), Nic Naitanui, West Coast (one), Nick Riewoldt, St Kilda (one), Aaron Sandilands, Fremantle (one), Zephaniah Skinner, Western Bulldogs (one).

Who do you think will kick Goal of the Year?

Liam Jurrah, Melbourne (three), Mark LeCras, West Coast (two), Daniel Motlop, Port Adelaide (two), Cyril Rioli, Hawthorn (two), Hayden Ballantyne, Fremantle (one), Eddie Betts, Carlton (one), Alan Didak, Collingwood (one), Jeff Garlett, Carlton (one), Lewis Jetta, Sydney Swans (one), Steve Johnson, Geelong Cats (one), Stephen Milne, St Kilda (one), Daniel Wells, North Melbourne (one).