Essendon isn’t in the Premiership hunt in season 2003, according to opposition captains. The AFL today surveyed all club captains asking them which club – other than their own - was likely to reach the Grand Final. With many of the so-called ‘experts’ wanting to pot the Bombers in the lead up to 2003, opposition captains have jumped on the bandwagon with just one tipping Essendon to be at the MCG in the last day in September.

And it didn’t get much better when they were asked which sides would make the final eight. Eight opposition captains didn’t believe Essendon would make the final eight. Of the other questions asked, seven captains thought Matthew Lloyd would win the Coleman Medal. Daniel Wells (6) and Luke Ball (3) were the leading nominations for the Rising Star Award. Not one Essendon player was nominated as a the 2003 Brownlow Medallist.

Full results of polling:

Which seven other clubs will make this year's top eight?

Adelaide (15)
Brisbane (15)
Carlton (1)
Collingwood (15)
Essendon (7)
Fremantle (6)
Geelong (6)
Hawthorn (8)
Kangaroos (3)
Melbourne (9)
Port Adelaide (15)
Richmond (1)
Sydney (2)
St Kilda (1)
West Coast (7)
Western Bulldogs (1)

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

Brisbane (11)
Collingwood (2)
Essendon (1)
Geelong (1)
Port Adelaide (1)

Who do you think will win the Coleman Medal?

Matthew Lloyd (7)
David Neitz (3)
Barry Hall (3)
Alastair Lynch (1)
Steven Milne (1)
Wayne Carey (1)

Who will win the 2003 Rising Star?

Daniel Wells (6)
Luke Ball (3)
Jobe Watson (1)
Rick Ladson (1)
Byron Schammer (1)
Nick Malceski (1)
Steven Salopek (1)
Brent Reilly (1)
Jared Brennan (1)

Who will win the 2003 Brownlow Medal?

Nathan Brown (2)
Nathan Buckley (2)
Andrew McLeod (2)
Simon Goodwin (1)
Anthony Stevens (1)
Shannon Grant (1)
Lenny Hayes 91)
Robert Harvey (1)
Ben Cousins (1)
Anthony Koutoufides (1)
Travis Johnstone (1)
Paul Williams (1)
Simon Black (1)