Essendon Champion Matthew Lloyd Identifies Top Contenders for the Premiership
Matthew Lloyd, a former Essendon champion, has made his predictions about which teams are in the best position to win this year’s premiership. Based on the first two months of the season, he believes only four teams have what it takes to lift the trophy. These teams are Hawthorn, Sydney, Fremantle, and the reigning premiers Brisbane.
Lloyd’s assessment is quite clear: at this stage, he doesn’t see last year’s runner-up Geelong, the pre-season flag hopefuls from Gold Coast, the experienced Collingwood, or last year’s minor premiers Adelaide as serious contenders.
Top Teams Dominate the Ladder
Heading into round eight, Hawthorn, Sydney, and Fremantle are sitting in the top three spots on the ladder. They have managed to stay ahead of the rest of the competition by a margin of four points. The Dockers had an impressive win on Friday night, coming back from 26 points down to beat the Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium. Meanwhile, the Hawks drew with Collingwood.
Brisbane, on the other hand, sit in sixth place with four wins and three losses. They’ve had a slightly slower start to the season following their premiership win, but there’s still no doubt about their credentials.
Fremantle’s Strong Performance
Speaking before their match against the Bulldogs on Friday night, Lloyd expressed his admiration for the Dockers. He said:
“I think there’s only about four teams good enough to win it (the flag) this year, and they’re one of them, Fremantle.”
He went on to list the four teams as Brisbane, Sydney, Hawthorn, and Fremantle. “Gold Coast is a watch now,” he added.
When asked if he thought Collingwood could make a significant impact in September, Lloyd responded:
“I don’t think so. Damage, I think they could win one, maybe two finals, but I don’t think they’re any better than that.”
Collingwood’s Potential
Despite Lloyd’s skepticism, Brownlow Medallist Jimmy Bartel agreed with his selection of the top four teams. He said:
“I’m not disagreeing with you. I think Collingwood can do some damage because they are so well drilled and organised.”
Bartel also mentioned that Collingwood is timing their run to be fresher and better than last year. “We spoke to Steele Sidebottom on Thursday and he said, ‘Look, we were 15-2 (last year) and we fell off a cliff. We’re trying to avoid that again.’”
The Magpies ultimately lost out on the minor premiership in 2025, but they still hosted a preliminary final before being taken down by the Lions. They are once again aiming to win a premiership with what would be the oldest list in VFL/AFL history to do so.
Upcoming Matches
Brisbane will face the struggling Essendon at Marvel Stadium on Saturday, while Sydney will host the fast-starting Melbourne on Sunday at the SCG. Fremantle and Hawthorn will go head-to-head next Thursday night at Optus Stadium in a battle between two of Lloyd’s top contenders.
Lloyd has previously made similar predictions. In June of 2025, he correctly identified grand finalists Brisbane and Geelong among his three teams that could win the flag.
