footy tipping has ignited debate after a team of nine experts released their predicted ladders for the 2026 AFL season, forecasting a non-Victorian top four and little hope for Collingwood in the top finals positions. The panel averaged the nine submitted ladders to produce a combined 1-18 ranking that places Brisbane at the summit, followed by Fremantle, Sydney and Gold Coast. The methodology and the resulting list set up a season narrative centred on interstate strength and several unexpected omissions.
Footy Tipping: The predicted ladder and the big calls
At the top of the combined ladder the panel places Brisbane as clear favourite, with Fremantle second, Sydney third and Gold Coast fourth — a top four made up entirely of non-Victorian clubs. The experts note this would mark the first time in two decades the top four contain no Victorian teams. Geelong and the Western Bulldogs are placed inside the top six, while two additional wildcard places are expected to be taken by interstate sides Adelaide and Greater Western Sydney alongside Hawthorn and St Kilda.
Among the headline outcomes: St Kilda is backed to sneak into a wildcard spot ahead of Collingwood, both Collingwood and Carlton miss out on the top end of the ladder, and West Coast is a unanimous pick to finish last. The panel produced a full combined order as follows: 1) Brisbane 2) Fremantle 3) Sydney 4) Gold Coast 5) Geelong 6) Western Bulldogs 7) Adelaide 8) Hawthorn 9) St Kilda 10) Greater Western Sydney 11) Collingwood 12) Carlton 13) Port Adelaide 14) Melbourne 15) Essendon 16) North Melbourne 17) Richmond 18) West Coast.
Podcast analysis and the premiership five
Separately, commentators on a prominent footy podcast assessing premiership chances narrowed the field to five teams they believe can win the flag in 2026 and highlighted the new wildcard round effectively creating a final 10. Those commentators emphasised volatility at the top of the competition between seasons and flagged Brisbane’s recent success as a benchmark: the club’s last two premierships were cited as evidence of both depth and the capacity to raise the standard at crucial moments.
That analysis named a string of established Brisbane contributors and listed additions said to provide cover across the list, alongside the coach’s stability being a factor in championship calculations. The podcast crew also discussed rising talent choices and preseason hype, including a unanimous pick for Rising Star by the panel on that show.
What this means and what to watch next
The combined predictions set clear watchpoints for the opening rounds: whether Collingwood and Carlton can respond after missing the projected top mix, whether St Kilda can convert a wildcard nod into tangible finals momentum, and whether the non-Victorian dominance forecast by the experts actually endures. Early-season form, injuries and the results of the wildcard round will be decisive in validating or overturning the panel’s order.
footy tipping has already framed the conversation; the coming rounds will determine if those predictions hold or if the ladder reshapes dramatically as the season unfolds. (Published 12: 00 PM ET)
