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.
5. Adelaide
Adelaide are continuing their rebuild after a disappointing few seasons, finishing last season in 14th position with eight wins to their name.
There are few pundits who are expecting the Crows to do big things this season, but fans will be eager to see some form of improvement to the side after no finals footy since their 2017 grand final appearance.
The developing Crows have the second youngest list in the competition with an average age of 23.7, with an average of just 51.7 games played. Though there is some young talent emerging at West Lakes, bolstered by the inclusion of new recruit Izak Rankine, there is still plenty of ground the Crows need to cover.
Darcy Fogarty looks primed for a big season, while the return of veteran Rory Sloane from injury will be a big benefit for the young team.
Adelaide have been hovering around the lower rungs of the ladder for three seasons now and shouldn't be expected to drastically climb out of the bottom six, but of all the teams in contention for the wooden spoon, look best placed to avoid it.
