It seems this gets said every year, but is this truly the most wide open premiership of all time? Kane Cornes believes so.
AFL greats Matthew Lloyd and Cornes have listed the clubs who they believe are still in contention in what the latter declared is as the most open flag race in the game's history.
The season has thrown up multiple premiership favourites with the bookies, with the West Coast Eagles now surging to the front after their 66-point demolition of Collingwood.
Speaking on Channel 9'sย Footy Classified onย Monday night, Lloyd named only four teams as premiership contenders.
โWest Coast, Brisbane and Port โฆ just the advantage theyโve got with the fans and their home ground advantage,โ the Essendon legend said.
โI wasnโt game enough to write off Richmond with all their players coming back and the way theyโre playing.
โThey're probably the only teams at this stage.โ
Cornes added: โI had it down to six a couple of weeks ago but Iโve since added Richmond in. I wrote them off a couple of weeks ago."
โItโs the most wide-open premiership of all time.
โIf they (Melbourne) are healthy with (Jack) Viney, (Christian) Petracca, (Clayton) Oliver and (Max) Gawn and (Sam) Weideman coming good, why canโt they win it if everyone else falls down with injuries?
โI just think itโs the most wide-open premiership weโve ever seen and in three weeksโ time, who knows what issues are going to bob up.
Lloyd's premiership contenders
West Coast
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Richmond
Cornes' premiership contenders
West Coast
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Richmond
Collingwood
GWS
Western Bulldogs
Melbourne
