Roos to go back-to-back-to-back? Do the Lions fall away? Who wins the best and fairest? Which team will rise? While so much can happen over the offseason, ESPN's AFLW experts have nevertheless turned their attention to 2026 for their way-too-early predictions.
Below are their ladder predictions, expected grand finalists, biggest risers and biggest sliders, as well as best and fairest and leading goal kickers.
Sarah Burt
1. Carlton
2. Melbourne
3. North Melbourne
4. Brisbane
5. Hawthorn
6. West Coast
7. Port Adelaide
8. St Kilda
9. Sydney
10. Richmond
11. Fremantle
12. Gold Coast
13. Adelaide
14. Essendon
15. Collingwood
16. Geelong
17. GWS
18. Western Bulldogs
Premier: Carlton
Runner up: Melbourne
Best and fairest: Jasmine Garner
Leading goalkicker: Kate Hore
Biggest riser: West Coast
Biggest slider: Adelaide
Biggest storyline: Carlton return to the Grand Final stage.
Isadora McLeay
1. North Melbourne
2. Port Adelaide
3. Carlton
4. Brisbane
5. Hawthorn
6. Geelong
7. Melbourne
8. Sydney
9. Fremantle
10. Adelaide
11. West Coast
12. St Kilda
13. Gold Coast
14. Western Bulldogs
15. Collingwood
16. Richmond
17. Essendon
18. GWS
Premier: North Melbourne
Runner up: Carlton
Best and fairest: Ella Roberts
Leading goalkicker: Eden Zanker
Biggest riser: Port Adelaide
Biggest slider: Adelaide
Biggest storyline: Aligning the VFLW competition with the AFLW season becomes a big catalyst for improvement in overall standard and player development.
Jarryd Barca
1. North Melbourne
2. Melbourne
3. Brisbane
4. Port Adelaide
5. Carlton
6. Hawthorn
7. West Coast
8. St Kilda
9. Sydney
10. Fremantle
11. Geelong
12. Adelaide
13. Collingwood
14. Richmond
15. Western Bulldogs
16. Essendon
17. GWS
18. Gold Coast
Premier: North Melbourne
Runner up: Melbourne
Best and fairest: Georgie Prespakis
Leading goalkicker: Chloe Molloy
Biggest riser: Port Adelaide
Biggest slider: Adelaide
Biggest storyline: North winning three flags in a row reignites debate over the generous expansion concessions they were given in 2019 and how those early advantages helped build the juggernaut they've become.
Jesse Robinson
1. North Melbourne
2. Brisbane
3. Melbourne
4. West Coast
5. Port Adelaide
6. Adelaide
7. Hawthorn
8. Carlton
9. Sydney
10. Geelong
11. Fremantle
12. St Kilda
13. Western Bulldogs
14. Collingwood
15. Essendon
16. Richmond
17. GWS
18. Gold Coast
Premier: North Melbourne
Runner up: Port Adelaide
Best and fairest: Jasmine Garner
Leading goalkicker: Eden Zanker
Biggest riser: Port Adelaide
Biggest slider: Adelaide
Biggest storyline: West Coast and Port Adelaide begin the new era of challengers to the Kangaroos' pending dynasty and former superpower Adelaide fall away into a fringe finals team.