The 2014 AFL Premiership Season (once again, just in case)

[Meaty Man]

February 1 is the day where the tennis fever that grips Australia every new year wears off and people realise, "hang on, the footy's coming back soon! :DDD" And I am definitely one of them (although I also follow stuff like the drafts in November-December) So in preparation, I've drawn up some predictions regarding how this season should play out.

AFL Premiership - Fremantle to defeat Geelong in the Grand Final...yep

Brownlow Medal - Gary Ablett (Gold Coast) to win with Jack, Fyfe and Dane Swan chasing

Coleman Medal - Franklin and Tippett should be the new power duo, but Jarrod Roughead (Hawthorn) should pick the award up easily with only Gunston a real threat at the Hawks

Rising Star Award - Matt Scharenberg (Collingwood) because it's too easy to pick Tom Boyd and GWS key forwards have poor luck with injury anyways

 

[The Avalanches]

Grand Final: Hawthorn to beat Fremantle... again.

 

[The Avalanches]

And Gold Coast Suns will make the Top 8. You heard it here first.

 

[Stallion]

Swans Essendon (biased in terms of the latter) grand final

 

[Meaty Man]

I feel a bit bad for expecting big things from Gold Coast this season, but obviously they're so confident with their current list that they did not make one single change in the trade/free agency periods.

 

[Trax]

Premiership: Freemantle have the right team to win, the MCG hurts their swarming style of play though.

Brownlow Medal: If Ablett doesn't win again, it's a miracle -- the rest of the suns midfield is just good enough to get him the ball lots and just bad enough to never make enough impact to get more points than Ablett.

Coleman Medal: Most of the established forwards seem to come with a big "if" (some examples: Cloke if he can hit the broad side of a barn this year, Pavlich if he stays fit, Roughead if he doesn't get drafted to being backup ruckman, Cameron if he sees enough of the football).

Still shocked about Sydney signing Franklin for 10 years, as soon as his speed goes Franklin will just be dead weight.

 

[Meaty Man]

I don't think Roughead should end up backup ruckman with their signing of Big Boy McEvoy over the off-season. Even though Max Bailey's gone I think Roughead can be a forward to stay this year, and hopefully Lachie Henderson can do the same over at Carlton. Lord knows how we've needed a reliable key forward

 

[Trax]

I don't think Roughead should end up backup ruckman with their signing of Big Boy McEvoy over the off-season. Even though Max Bailey's gone I think Roughead can be a forward to stay this year, and hopefully Lachie Henderson can do the same over at Carlton. Lord knows how we've needed a reliable key forward

McEvoy is unreliable though, even when he's on the damn pitch he has a remarkable tendency to go AWOL and lets not get into how often he gets injured.

I'm also confused how Carlton seems to have such a mismanaged list; they actually have a good side but the balance is out of whack -- how a list that's not really top 8 material has 2 ruckmen on their list who would be first pick at most clubs I really don't know.

 

[Meaty Man]

I'm anxious for Carlton's second NAB Challenge game this week against Adelaide at the Docklands. The Dream Team scores they generated in the Roos win weren't great but I'm willing to overlook that for the impressive displays from Andrejs Everitt and Troy Menzel :P

Quick note on last night's match in Tasmania, they say not to take the pre-season tournaments overly seriously but boy the Hawks are FIRING right now aren't they :O

 

[Millky95]

Going to take a rough stab at the ladder:
1-3: Sydney, Hawthorn, Freo
I just can't see these 3 teams falling out of the top 4 this year. Hawthorn are killing the pre-season and if Sydney were fit last year they would've done a lot better than 4th. Freo should make it too.

4-6: Geelong, Richmond, North
Any of these 3 could take anywehre from 4th to 6th. I can't see Geelong being in the 4 but I don't know who else could possibly make it. If North win those close loses they had, they should be 4th.

7-13: Gold Coast, Essendon, Carlton, Port, Adelaide, Collingwood, West Coast
The middle of the ladder will be very cluttered and any of these teams could take up the last 2 spots.

14-18: Brisbane, Western Bulldogs, St. Kilda, GWS, Melbourne
Not making it out of the bottom 6 this year

Guess at the ladder:

Hide

1. Hawks
2. Swans
3. Freo
4. Richmond
5. Geelong
6. North
7. Port
8. Carlton
-----
9. Collingwood
10. Essendon
11. West Coast
12. Gold Coast
13. Adelaide
14. Brisbane
15. Bulldogs
16. GWS
17. St. Kilda
18. Melbourne

 

[Stallion]

Going to take a rough stab at the ladder:
1-3: Sydney, Hawthorn, Freo
I just can't see these 3 teams falling out of the top 4 this year. Hawthorn are killing the pre-season and if Sydney were fit last year they would've done a lot better than 4th. Freo should make it too.

4-6: Geelong, Richmond, North
Any of these 3 could take anywehre from 4th to 6th. I can't see Geelong being in the 4 but I don't know who else could possibly make it. If North win those close loses they had, they should be 4th.

7-13: Gold Coast, Essendon, Carlton, Port, Adelaide, Collingwood, West Coast
The middle of the ladder will be very cluttered and any of these teams could take up the last 2 spots.

14-18: Brisbane, Western Bulldogs, St. Kilda, GWS, Melbourne
Not making it out of the bottom 6 this year

Guess at the ladder:

Hide

1. Hawks
2. Swans
3. Freo
4. Richmond
5. Geelong
6. North
7. Port
8. Carlton
-----
9. Collingwood
10. Essendon
11. West Coast
12. Gold Coast
13. Adelaide
14. Brisbane
15. Bulldogs
16. GWS
17. St. Kilda
18. Melbourne

Lol you think a roster as young and as talented as Essendons is going to regress that much? Sorry but even if I wasn't a homer I'd laugh in your face

 

[Trax]

Lol you think a roster as young and as talented as Essendons is going to regress that much? Sorry but even if I wasn't a homer I'd laugh in your face

Not that I agree, but Essendon have a flawed forward line without Crameri (especially with Bellchambers injured), given Daniher is really still developing (if he ends up where his potential says he can, he'll be as good as Jarryd Roughead). They could drop pretty sharply, as much as they aren't likely to get much worse they also don't seem likely to get better -- not that I think they'll end up outside the 8, Thompson should be considered a step up from Hird in the coaching department and the side isn't so poor that they'll go from 5 (which is where they were roughly last year, giving a little leeway for the drugs saga costing them morale and energy) to 9 or worse.

Controversial opinion: Swans aren't as good as they were last year and will struggle to place top 4, people talk about Franklin being a huge coup for them but Bolton is retired now and they'll have Pyke as their first choice ruckman with Mumford gone so their list changes haven't been entirely positive, plus some of the list is getting to the point where age and injuries are a factor.

 

[Trax]

Well if Collingwood keep playing like that they won't make the eight.

 

[Meaty Man]

It seems like all pre-season pundits only ever considered three teams as good enough for the flag and 4th place was really anybody's guess. I can't honestly agree that the Hawks, Swans and Dockers are really that far ahead of the rest of the pack, but I tell you what, what Freo did to the Magpies last night has helped me out to an extent. My pick for this season is the Dockers to take out their first premiership, but Geelong to lose in the Grand Final. People are being a bit quick to pick the Cats to finally make their fall from grace after such an extended period of success

 

[Jvasss]

what are your predictions of the bottom 4?
i think it wil be something like this
18 melbourne
17 gws
16stkilda
15 wester bulldogs
14 lions
admittedly i am a lions supporter and might be a bit biased.
melbourne doesnt seem to even want to improve, and i even paul roos will take atleast one full year to get them into the shape to play good footy.
gws are improving quite a lot, but so far htey havent been able to utilise their fantastic forward line
stkilda have actually been decent so far, and 2 wins this early would hint towards them getting atleast 5 or so by the end, hwever i dont see then being able to pull off upsets against decent teams such as gold coast, in the way that i think both the bulldogs and brisbane can.
Dogs havent watched them or looked at their list, but my cousins assure me that they have improved
i reckon that the lions will hava tough first half of the year, haviung a new coach etc. but should be able to get qiute a few wins from beating the rest of the bottom ladder. the yuongsters look promising, particularly mayes, and brown seems to still have it, obvioous ly these are very tentative, and none of these really matter, cos gws gets pretty much all the draft picks anyway.

 

[Trax]

Bulldogs biggest problem if they're short on key position players, they've picked up talls who just haven't really developed, the other problem is their midfield is incredibly reliant on Minson to win hitouts and when he doesn't they can't clear the stoppage.

Of course the game after I post this, Minson fires and Tom Liberatore ends up with 12 clearances.

 

[Asek]

Hawks are looking in good form this year even with the absence of Franklin, even though i despise the team I think they are the best bet to take the flag, especially considering they have home ground advantage over the main competitors for the flag (Freo, Swans) except for Geelong i guess. Also tipping North to finally make the 8 comfortably, the addition of Dal Santo should help them a lot and their midfield line up is one of the best in the comps now imo.

Also @ above about brisbane, the fact that we lost so many good developing players will keep us hurting for a couple years to come, I don't think finals are realistic for us for like another 3 years.

 

[Trax]

North as a side is the poster child for inconsistency, could make the top 6 or the bottom 6 quite easily heh.

 

[Meaty Man]

The Suns's development as a side will be put to the ultimate test next weekend when they do battle with reigning premiers and 2nd placed Hawthorn at Metricon Stadium in a mouth-watering clash. This has the potential to be a brilliant show if Ablett and O'Meara, etc. are firing off the back of their huge QClash victory yesterday.

Blues and Bombers tonight, however, not really sold on Sunday night football yet, and it doesn't look as though crowds are either really. Rounds 1 and 2 have been pretty poor compared to the corresponding rounds of recent years, and this round has underperformed somewhat as well with even the MCG Grand Final rematch on Friday night falling short of 50,000.

 

[Stallion]

I know Carlton aren't anything special but what my Bombers did to them today was awesome to see

 

[Trax]

Carlton should be embarrassed by that performance. Not even Melbourne give up that many intercepts across their own back line.

 

[Millky95]

If they dont improve they wont make the 12 let alone the 8. Essendon though... will they fade like normal?

 

[Trax]

Melbourne finally got all their good players on the park, and they won a game.. no big surprise there.

 

[Stallion]

Fucks sake Essendon

 

[Meaty Man]

This is just sheer embarrassment right now. What the actual hell is happening down at Visy Park right now?!