With the 2023 AFL season officially just weeks away from kicking off after a competitive, and entertaining, 2022 edition, predictions on who will be atop the table come season's end are aplenty.
While there is plenty to be said about those in-form teams in the competition, there's also plenty to make of the race for the wooden spoon.
North Melbourne claimed the unwanted prize in 2022 after a rough season, with West Coast only narrowly missing out.
As the countdown to the season continues, we've named our five likely contenders for the 2023 wooden spoon.
1. North Melbourne
North Melbourne claimed the wooden spoon last season for the second consecutive year and will be hoping to avoid a repeat in 2023.
With new coach Alastair Clarkson at the helm, Roos fans will be eager to see some improvement this season after a lengthy rebuild, but shouldn't expect the master coach to be able to pull off a miracle.
The addition of Griffin Logue, Darcy Tucker and Liam Shiels adds much-needed depth for North, while draftee Harry Sheezel is already impressing after just one pre-season at the club, managing three goals in North's match simulation over the weekend.
With their established talent, the likes of Ben McKay, Nick Larkey and Jy Simpkin, getting yet another season under their belts, it is reasonable to conclude that North will be a better outfit in 2023, but not necessarily a good one.
Despite this being a year of development, and hopefully improvement, down at Arden Street, North are still unfortunately one of the leading contenders for yet another wooden spoon.
