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Full Noise by SN
Important update on 1476AMSeven flag fancies: Cornes and King’s premiership contenders
Andrew Slevison • April 13th, 2026 11:28 am
How many genuine premiership contenders are there at this stage of season 2026?
Back-to-back champions the Brisbane Lions are the flag favourites with most bookmakers after starting the campaign with a 3-2 record.
But in the mind of David King there are six clear challengers to the Lions which is the most flag fancies we have seen for some time.
King said on SEN’s Fireball: “How many contenders have we actually got this year?
“Because we're all waiting to see who's going to step up and match the Brisbane Lions.
“If you actually think the Brisbane Lions are that far in front, well, good luck to you. I don't think there's a big gap at all anymore.
“I think the Sydney Swans have shown that they can play some pretty aggressive footy.
“That Fremantle win, whilst it wasn't a great game, the fact that they won that was a terrific sign.
“Hawthorn just maximised every area of advantage that they could on Saturday night.
“But how many teams in your mind's eye can you see actually holding in the cup? I think there's as many this year as we've had for a while.”
Kane Cornes replied: “Oh, I thought you were going to go the other way. I'm with you. I think there's seven.”
King continued: “Seven being Sydney, Freo, Hawthorn, Dogs, Suns, Brisbane, Cats. You still got the Cats in there?”
Cornes: “Yeah, it wouldn't surprise me. I wouldn't have them in the top level.”
The Swans currently sit on top of the ladder with a 4-1 record - the same as Freo, Hawthorn and the Dogs - but with a massive percentage of 175.
The Suns and Lions make up the top six at 3-2 while Geelong currently sits eighth, also on 3-2.
While there is plenty of competition at the top, it feels like a lopsided competition right now.
There is a significant gap between the top half and the bottom which Cornes and King discussed.
Cornes: “The downside is that we've got some very ordinary teams.”
King: “We've always had ordinary teams.”
Cornes: “We’ve always had this many ordinary teams?”
King: “What have we got, three?”
Cornes: “Richmond, West Coast, Port Adelaide, Collingwood, Carlton, Essendon. It's a lot.”
King: “Of that grouping you'd say that Carlton are the most likely to threaten of a weekend.
“I don't think they're as bad as what Richmond are.”
Cornes: “You throw in Collingwood who are always going to be competitive because they're really well coached. They've got a good structure and a good system. They can't score, which is a problem, so I think it's going to be hard.
“So you think that the competition this year is in a really good spot, as good a spot as it's been in?”
King: “For the top, for the games that matter. So when those top eight teams are playing each other, you go, ‘Oh, this is going to be terrific’, as we did a couple of times across the weekend.”
Round 6 provides just one fixture consisting of Cornes and King’s seven contenders - Geelong hosting the Western Bulldogs at GMHBA Stadium on Friday night.
