Opinion End of 2014 ladder

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Jun 3, 2012
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Reid will definitely play forward, and Seedsman will play every game after he is back from injury. O'Brien now plays on the wing, and Lynch would be woeful as a defender.


I agree that our backline isn't great, but apart from Maxwell they are all capable of playing good football, but the problem is getting enough experience in them playing as a unit to reach that level.

B: Fasolo - Brown - Toovey
HB: Maxwell - Keefe – Sinclair

In Round 1, due to the absence of Williams and Seedsman we will bring in Sinclair and Fasolo who are both capable defenders.

Fasolo has only been tested in the backline minimally, but his skills really transitioned well, which will hopefully come in handy against Fremantle's small forwards.

Sinclair took a massive step in his career transitioning from forwardline to backline last season, but in the end it really paid off, and he took over a massive role as a running half-back in the latter half of the season.

We will also have Langdon our new recruit. He has played in both of the NAB Challenge games and has demonstrated great skills and footy smarts for a 19 year old, so he will probably be starting on the bench or as a sub.

After Maxwell reaches 200 games in Round 2 (Unless he suddenly gets good) he will be dropped permanently for one of those I've just mentioned, and Seedsman should be back from injury and be slotted straight into the side.

Barring injury, our lineup should remain the same until Round 6. If Marley doesn't get jail time he will be back in for Anzac Day unless Sinclair/Fas get better than him in that time, if that is the case he will play VFL until the selection panel deem fit to put him back in.

All in all, our backline isn't terrible, but inexperienced, and somewhat underrated. It is still capable of holding up it's own against quite a few teams and I wouldn't be surprised if some of our predicted smashing are quite a lot closer than many would suggest.

Even with those positives, our team isn't perfect. Grundy will struggle to ruck out the entire season, which will probably bring us to promote Hudson or give Witts a go, which I'm not sure he is ready for.

Our kicking accuracy is still a problem, but from what we've seen in the NAB Challenge we have made steps to fix that. Cloke and Reid kicked 8.1 between them against Richmond, and until the flood of Richmond goals came we were 1.10.2.

To what you have said about us trading away our talent, I (And most of the Collingwood board) believe that 2013/14 are our rebuilding years, so if we expect to be challenging for the flag after that trading away any more good players would be stupid. And even though we consider 2014 to be a rebuild year we still expect to finish top 6, which I believe is a definite.

tl;dr: Backline not as bad as it seems, Collingwood will be top 8 while retaining good players.
If Bucks is going to play Reid forward and O'Brien in the midfield then he is one ******* idiot.

Backs: Toovey - Brown - Seedsman
Half-Backs: O'Brien - Reid - Maxwell
Centre: Adams - Ball - Beams
Half-Forward: Sidebottom - Cloke - Goldsack
Forward: Blair - White - Elliott
Ruck/Followers: Grundy - Swan - Pendlebury
Interchange: Fasolo - Keefe - Young - Kennedy

That should be your best 22 in 2014. Not too sure about Dwyer or Clarke, whether they will make it.
Oh, silly me I called Mr Lumumba O'Brien. Either way, there is no need to be so aggressive. Harry played midfield to an outstanding effect in 2013, including many times when Reid played forward, so I don't see why you think it is a terrible idea.

Also, why do you have Seedsman back pocket and Maxwell half back? Seedsman provides great run and carry, while Maxwell only seems to be effective playing in the pocket. If Goldsack plays he won't play forward, we have White Cloke and our swingman Reid in our tall forward rotation, there isn't room for a sub-par one in goldsack. Oh, and Dwyer is good enough to make it, it's just a matter of if he gets gametime.
 
May 28, 2013
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If people didn't hate Carlton so much then they wouldn't keep underrating them in their lists.

1. Freo
2. Sydney
3. Richmond
4. Hawthorn
5. Carlton
6. Norf
7. Geelong
8. Coll
9. GC
10. Port
11. Essendon
12. Adelaide
13. Bris
14. WC
15. GWS
16. dogs
17. melbourne
18. StK

You can add the AFL captains to the list of people that don't rate the blues that highly. Only 2 think you can make the 8 in 2014. Either they also hate Carlton or you maybe over rating your list.
 
Mar 18, 2013
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Oh, silly me I called Mr Lumumba O'Brien. Either way, there is no need to be so aggressive. Harry played midfield to an outstanding effect in 2013, including many times when Reid played forward, so I don't see why you think it is a terrible idea.

Also, why do you have Seedsman back pocket and Maxwell half back? Seedsman provides great run and carry, while Maxwell only seems to be effective playing in the pocket. If Goldsack plays he won't play forward, we have White Cloke and our swingman Reid in our tall forward rotation, there isn't room for a sub-par one in goldsack. Oh, and Dwyer is good enough to make it, it's just a matter of if he gets gametime.

Goldsack is still a handy set shot at goal from half-forward. And Lumumba simply needs to play back. It's best for the team if Buckley plays him there.
 

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Feb 25, 2013
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Brisbane Lions
1. Fremantle Dockers - Premiers
2. Sydney Swans
3. Hawthorn Hawks
4. Geelong Cats
5. Port Adelaide Power
6. North Melbourne Kangaroos
7. Richmond Tigers
8. Essendon Bombers
9. Brisbane Lions
10. Carlton Blues
11. Collingwood Magpies
12. Gold Coast Suns
13. Adelaide Crows
14. Western Bulldogs
15. GWS Giants
16. West Coast Eagles
17. Melbourne Demons
18. St. Kilda Saints

Re-do:

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

DonDynamite

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Feb 7, 2013
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Fremantle
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West Coast
Collingwood
Adelaide
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Brisbane
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Melbourne
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North Melbourne
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West Coast
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Melbourne
Brisbane
 
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Why the hell would someone say that they doubt their team will win the flag you sad man
I'd love it, but I just think Geelong, Hawthorn and Fremantle are better
 

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Feb 17, 2010
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They are you odds to win the Grand Final - zero chance you will get that for top 4.


Cats, Hawks and Swans $5
Freo - $6.50
Pies $8.00
Tigers $10.00
Roos - $15.00
Ess - $21.00
WCE - $21.00
Crows - $31.00
Bris - $31.00
Blues - $31.00
Port - $51.00
Suns - $67.00
Dogs - $101

Saints, GWS, Dees - write your own ticket.

Anyone else wishing they had dropped a few bucks on Port?
 
May 28, 2013
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Here you go JW V TAB. Will tally the points at the end of the year.

JW ------- TAB
Swans ------- Hawks
Hawks ------- Freo
Freo --------- Swans
Tigers -------- Cats
Essendon ----Roos
North -------- Pies
WCE ---------- Tigers
Pies ---------- Blues


Blues -------- WCE
Cats -------- Ess
Suns ------- Crows
Port -------- Port
Crows ------ Suns
Dogs ------- Bris
Dees ------- Dogs
Lions ------- Saints
GWS -------- Dees
Saints ------- GWS

Jobe Watson - I would say in this early part of the year TAB is winning- easily 79-58.

The big busts for both is Port - both 10 spots out.

Tigers, Blues, Cats are hurting you where as the Blues and Suns are hurting the TAB. The

TAB have 5 teams currently sitting in the correct postion.

Man V Machine - my money is still on the machine!!
 
Jun 12, 2009
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Jobe Watson - I would say in this early part of the year TAB is winning- easily 79-58.

The big busts for both is Port - both 10 spots out.

Tigers, Blues, Cats are hurting you where as the Blues and Suns are hurting the TAB. The

TAB have 5 teams currently sitting in the correct postion.

Man V Machine - my money is still on the machine!!
Wow, I didn't even remember this. Season is barely a quarter of the way through. Richmond and Essendon are both about to hit easy runs, and plenty of teams will slip down from their current position as the season progresses (St.Kilda, Gold Coast, GWS).

I also did this ladder about 3 weeks after season 2013 ended... hard to get everything spot on, especially when I am trying to predict big changes where as the TAB model is far more conservative (imagine if they opened with Geelong outside the top 8, they'd get smashed!). If I did this after NAB Cup I probably would've reinstated Geelong into the top 8 at the expense of WCE, but I didn't end up doing a revised ladder.

Even if the TAB ladder does beat mine, it still doesn't change the fact that betting odds are not the way to judge a team's prospects, or how good they are. I'm sure there's some bloke on BigFooty whose ladder is even more correct at the moment than the TAB's.
 
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May 28, 2013
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Wow, I didn't even remember this. Season is barely a quarter of the way through. Richmond and Essendon are both about to hit easy runs, and plenty of teams will slip down from their current position as the season progresses (St.Kilda, Gold Coast, GWS).

I also did this ladder about 3 weeks after season 2013 ended... hard to get everything spot on, especially when I am trying to predict big changes where as the TAB model is far more conservative (imagine if they opened with Geelong outside the top 8, they'd get smashed!). If I did this after NAB Cup I probably would've reinstated Geelong into the top 8 at the expense of WCE, but I didn't end up doing a revised ladder.

Even if the TAB ladder does beat mine, it still doesn't change the fact that betting odds are not the way to judge a team's prospects, or how good they are. I'm sure there's some bloke on BigFooty whose ladder is even more correct at the moment than the TAB's.

I just believe they get more right than wrong than the average football follower. They remove bias and emotion. Agree some on here maybe better - for example the Port supporters that put their side in the top 4 while having the Crows really low.

Long way to go - I would be careful with your "easy" run coming up call. Easy games like against the Saints can sometimes not be so easy - no matter what the odds tell us..
 

AJJPAFC

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Mar 12, 2014
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Polec wouldn't be top 5 at Brisbane, if he stayed at Brisbane he would still be crying for his mummy and not trying, but if he played like he is now for us he would be probably our 6-8 best player.
Your'e right. He'd be your best.
 

#domtysonforpm

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May 26, 2014
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Gold Coast
-------------
West Coast
Adelaide
North Melbourne
Melbourne
Richmond
Carlton
Western Bulldogs
St Kilda
Brisbane
GWS

Up and coming: Gold Coast, Melbourne, Port Adelaide
Going down: Carlton, Brisbane, Western Bulldogs
 
May 28, 2013
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I think people are really underestimating Collingwood. I still think they are a good premiership chance. They have a lot of young guns and a lot of experienced monsters of the AFL. Remember, Swan, Pendlebury, Cloke and Beams are all at their top periods in their career. Collingwood could very well win the premiership next year but I'm not sure they'll play like it. Anyway, I constructed a ladder after the fixture was released earlier today. So here it is:

1. Port Adelaide (17-5-0) | Will be the surprise club this year. They are a very young but great side, if not this year, then certainly in one of the years to come)
2. Sydney Swans (17-5-0) | Still have the best side in the competition and with the addition of Buddy, it's hard to not see them in the top 4.
3. Hawthorn (16-6-0) | Still a champion side but won't be as great as the past three seasons.
4. Collingwood (16-6-0) | Piss easy fixture after round 7. Only top 4 side they have twice is Hawthorn. They also get to host Freo and Port Adelaide.
5. North Melbourne (16-6-0) | Capable of anything. And the inclusion of Dal Santo will only make them better. Drew Petrie to kick 50+ goals up forward. Ziebell an early Brownlow fancy.
6. Fremantle (15-7-0) | I think everybody overrates them. They are a great side but I don't think they will be top 4 next season. Tough draw and with Pavlich, Sandilands, McPharlin and the new recruit Sylvia already very old, can't see Freo being a REAL flag threat.
7. Richmond (14-8-0) | Difficult to pick but I'd say they are still a top 8 side. Capable of making the top 4. Also capable of missing the top 8. Have a 1st round clash at Gold Coast. Will be difficult.
8. Geelong (14-8-0) | Very difficult for the Cats. With a lot of guns gone (J-Pod, Chapman and Hunt), the Cats will still be impressive enough to make the 8 but don't expect the Cats to be top 4 next year.

-----------------------------------------

9. Essendon (11-11-0) | One word: Overrated. They lost Crameri and dumped Davey in the forward line. They will struggle bit time after the 2013 drug scandal. Bomber Thompson won't be enough to lift the Bombers to finals.
10. Adelaide (10-12-0) | With the recruits of Betts and Podsiadly, Adelaide's forward line will structure perfectly with Lynch, Walker and several others but the problem is the back-line. Need to improve. Also lost Bernie Vince to Melbourne.
11. Carlton (9-13-0) | Also overrated. Shouldn't have played finals last season and next season will be poor for the Blues. Daisy Thomas will be injured for the majority of the season.
12. Gold Coast (9-13-0) | Capable of the top eight but won't make it. Will definitely win 5 of the first 9 and sometime during the season, will take down a giant, most likely Hawthorn at home.
13. West Coast (9-13-0) | Their fixture was easier than expected so this is the reason for all the wins. I don't rate West Coast. Shocking team at the moment. Worsfold gone will hurt them as well.
14. Brisbane Lions (8-14-0) | Wish I could put them higher. They are a side that are capable of many upsets but can also lose easy games. Capable of the top eight but only Voss could do that at the moment.
15. Western Bulldogs (7-15-0) | Still not that great. They received Crameri and have Griffen at his career high form but won't be a challenger at any point during the season.
16. GWS Giants (5-17-0) | Kevin Sheedy gone is actually good for GWS. Sheedy had no idea what he was doing. The Giants will improve but will still have a poor season. Have an easy finish of the season.
17. Melbourne (3-19-0) | Under Paul Roos, despire the recruit of Bernie Vince and Daniel Cross, Melbourne will still finish very low. Signs of improvement will be visible though. They won't lose a game by more than 60 points.
18. St. Kilda (2-20-0) | Lost Saad, Koschitzke, Milne in the forward line, McEvoy in the ruck and Dal Santo in the midfield. The only way is down for St. Kilda. Only have Riewoldt and Milera functioning the forward line. Steven will continue to impress though.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FINALS:
Port Adelaide v Collingwood (Revenge!)
Sydney Swans
v Hawthorn (Just too good for Hawthorn)
North Melbourne
v Geelong (Close game)
Fremantle v Richmond (Freo will choke)

Port Adelaide v North Melbourne (less than 18 point margin)
Hawthorn
v Richmond (Will break the streak by about 4-5 goals)

Collingwood v Hawthorn (Will finally break the streak in another prelim thriller)
Sydney Swans
v Port Adelaide (Not experienced enough, Port Adelaide)

Collingwood v Sydney Swans (NSM: Steele Sidebottom | Win by 28 points)

This is by far and away the best looking ladder in this thread. Port to fnish top - wow that is a big chance and a huge call at the time.

The only 2 misses so far is over rating the Tigers and under rating the Suns - which most did. There is is also still time for the Suns to drop with a harder 2nd half of the year.

Well done:thumbsu::thumbsu::thumbsu:
 
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