In the league's annual poll of the club captains ahead of the home and away season, 16 captains nominated Collingwood as one of the seven clubs aside from their own that are most likely to reach the top eight.
Predictably, last year's premier Sydney was the only side to be unanimously nominated by every other captain to figure in the September action. The Magpies were one of three teams (Hawthorn and West Coast were the others) to be selected by 16 other captains.
In 2012, Collingwood was tipped to reach the finals by each of the 17 other club captains. Interestingly, Carlton was one of the four clubs unanimously selected.
View the results of last year's captains poll here.
One captain went on to name Collingwood as the club most likely to reach the Grand Final other than his own, as was the case when the captains met last year.
Hawthorn and West Coast appear to be the early season favourites to contest the Grand Final, receiving seven nominations each.
On an individual note, Dane Swan and Scott Pendlebury have again been tipped to figure prominently in the Brownlow Medal count.
Swan, the 2011 winner, and Pendlebury, who has averaged 20 votes over the past three seasons, were each selected by one captain to take home the league's most coveted individual honour.
New Richmond captain Trent Cotchin is the hot tip amongst the skippers (nominated by six). Gary Ablett (Gold Coast) and Patrick Dangerfield (Adelaide) each received three nominations.
In 2012, Pendlebury was the hot pre-season favourite to win his first Brownlow Medal with eight of the 18 club captains giving him their tick of approval. Swan, who polled 25 votes last year after earning 34 the previous year, was not chosen by any skipper.
The 2013 AFL club captains
Nathan van Berlo (Adelaide), Jed Adcock, Jonathan Brown (Brisbane), Marc Murphy (Carlton), Nick Maxwell (Collingwood), Jobe Watson (Essendon), Matthew Pavlich (Fremantle), Joel Selwood (Geelong), Gary Ablett (Gold Coast), Phil Davis, Callan Ward (Greater Western Sydney), Luke Hodge (Hawthorn), Jack Grimes, Jack Trengove (Melbourne), Andrew Swallow (North Melbourne), Travis Boak (Port Adelaide), Trent Cotchin (Richmond), Nick Riewoldt (St Kilda), Kieren Jack, Jarrad McVeigh (Sydney), Darren Glass (West Coast), Matthew Boyd (Western Bulldogs).
Which seven other clubs do you think can make this year's top eight? (18 times seven selections. In 2012, the captains correctly nominated Sydney, Hawthorn, Adelaide, Collingwood, Fremantle, West Coast and Geelong to make the finals, but missed North Melbourne).
Sydney (17), Collingwood (16), Hawthorn (16), West Coast (15), Geelong (15), Adelaide (14), Carlton (11), Essendon (2), North Melbourne (2), Richmond (2).
Which other club is most likely to reach the Grand Final? (Captains overwhelmingly endorsed Grand Finalist Hawthorn in 2012, but no captain picked eventual premier Sydney).
Hawthorn (7), West Coast (7), Collingwood, Fremantle, Geelong, Sydney
Who do you think will win the 2013 Brownlow Medal? (No captain correctly nominated Jobe Watson in 2012).
Trent Cotchin (6), Gary Ablett (3), Patrick Dangerfield (3), Josh Kennedy (2), Sam Mitchell, Scott Pendlebury, Joel Selwood, Dane Swan.
Who do you think will win the 2013 Coleman Medal? (Two captains correctly nominated Jack Riewoldt in 2012).
Lance Franklin (8), Taylor Walker (4), Jack Riewoldt (3), Tom Hawkins (2), Drew Petrie.
Who do you think will win the 2013 NAB AFL Rising Star? (No captain correctly nominated Daniel Talia in 2012).
Jaeger O'Meara (9), Lachie Whitfield (2), Ollie Wines (2), Brandon Hill, Will Hoskin-Elliott, Jono O'Rourke, Jake Stringer, Jack Viney.
