Play Nice 2018 Ladder Predictions

[Bazza97]

As I said... Freo got 8 wins this year due to winning some close games. Could of easily got a couple more. I am half sold on Lyon rebuilding our list. He won most freo fans over with the youth he played.

Only way I could accept freo getting Bottom 4 in 2018 is that they get 7 or 8 wins and get 15th spot. Hell, they might get that similar % again of 70-74%. That means they averaged around scoring 71 points a game and conceding 96 points a game.

Hell Freo could be 17th with 5 or 6 wins and get pick 2. That isn't too bad considering the talent coming in the 2018 draft. Not that I approve of tanking though.....

Freo did very well to win 6 out of 7 games from round 3-9 especially winning a few games by under a goal. Ross definitely exposed a lot of youth to the side as well so it was funny when there were still some claiming that he didn't expose much youth to the side on the MB.

Understandable that you would be disappointed if Freo finish in the bottom 4 in unconvincing fashion. In 2018, I can still see them having a similar year to what they had this year in avoiding the bottom 4 and getting around 8 wins. I can't see them doing much better than that but it wouldn't surprise me if they did.

Haven't done a ladder yet and a bit early to make a call but if I had to give Freo a wins range for 2018 I'd say 6-9 wins.

 

[Go the Guts]

1. Swans
2. Pies
3. Blues
4. Saints
5. Lions
6. Tigers
7. Cats
8. Bombers

A prize for who works out the inspiration.

Decent ice dealer?

 

[HairyO]

Decent ice dealer?

Opium would have been the more likely drug of choice. For headaches and other ailments.

 

[Engimal v3]

1. North Melbourne

Throw a blanket over the rest.

 

[living_in_syd]

A little bit of luck always needs to go your way to win a flag. Definitely lucky we had just enough percentage to get above GWS otherwise we would have went to Adelaide in week 1.

 

[Skipper_]

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

 

[Hawks1976]

No just a sleeping giant, which has awoken. Our club is bigger than yours

We worry bout flags and we have more even though we started after you. Call me when you have caught up.

 

[Tigers_fan24]

We worry bout flags and we have more even though we started after you. Call me when you have caught up.

No worries, right after you call me when you're relevant again

 

[Hawks1976]

No worries, right after you call me when you're relevant again

Win one flag in 37 years My son 4 years old and his seen three he thinks hawks are relevant

 

[Scanlens Man]

Only doing top 8
1. Sydney (P)
2. Geelong
3. Adelaide
4. Melbourne
5. Essendon
6. Port Adelaide
7. St Kilda
8. GWS

LOL

 

[Scanlens Man]

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

Is the exercise "ladder prediction for 2018" or "List the teams in the order that you like them"?

 

[Freomaniac]

The fact that 4 out of Fremantle's 8 wins were under a goal is the concerning part for me, not the smashings. 4 wins under a goal yet 1 loss under a goal.

However, you have a point about how young Fremantle's squad is. They could improve especially with the new Perth Stadium that the opposition sides are not familiar with yet. This draft needs to be a good one though.

what was so concerning about freo winning 4 games by under a goal? I anything It was a good thing, Especially for a young team. said on the freo board beating the dogs in round 3 who were fresh off a flag was a massive psychological win. Massive turn around in form considering 6 days before we lost by port by 89 points

Especially losing lever.

I'm interested to see how the dogs rebound, how tigers handle the premiership win and whether sydney and Geelong can stave off the decline for yet another year.

At the other end I think freo are a key forward away from a quick rise up the ladder and Carlton are cooking up something good. I'm expecting carlton to overtake st kilda and possibly even Melbourne as other developing sides. The blues are doing the rebuild the right way with Bolton.

Hawks and bombers are completely unknown quantities. Hawks have Rioli, frawley, Stratton and birchall to return. A fit omeara (touch wood). That's a lot of extra firepower - but whether it can all click again remains to be seen.

Essendon also have a really good coach - and I hate them - but there are some good pieces being put in place. Not sure what their ceiling is. I reckon daniher is an outright gun and will really break out into a top 5 key forward.

The rest of the teams I don't care much about

Freo need a KPF or Key forward/ Ruck in this draft.

Crows... I can see 2013 written all over it. In 2013,Tippet left the club, Tex Did his knee. They lost 2 key forwards that year. Next year, Lever is gone, Talia does an injury, 2 key defenders gone

 

[hutchy31]

If anyone guessed this year's ladder they were doing bloody well. My 2c worth is:

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

But I'd throw one blanket over the top 5, another over 6-12, and another over the rest.

With a decent injury run and presuming Lever gets there I'm all in on the dees.

Optimistic about the dogs but probably need a good draft and trade period and definitely a decent preseason.

 

[JT_the_Man]

After today I'm optimistic that we'll be playing finals footy again next year.

 

[Heaps of fun]

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

 

[TiggerMan22]

How is that concerning? They’ve shown an ability to win tight games if they’re in position to, something neither your nor my club could really do.

And before I get the expected hurr durr tigers won da flag so we r da best, your inability to close out tight games this year has to be a concern with a tougher draw coming (it is for los bombres too)

We did close out close games, we just didnt wait to the last second to do it. Which means when you just look at the results you dont see it.
E.g Round 3 - 4 points up with 10 mins left, kick the next 2. Round 5 - Scores are level with 22 mins gone we kick the next 2. Round 9 - 9 points up with 23 gone, kick the next goal.

Then add in 3 out of our 4 close loses we were 5 goals up in stages of those games. We have seemingly fixed that issue of letting teams back in the game.
As shows at the end of the season after we get past that 5 goal mark.
Suns, got out to 33, closest they got was 26.
Hawks, got out to 46, closest they got was 26.
Saints, got out to 50, closest they got was 25.
Cats, got out to 46, closest they got was 39.
GWS, got out to 37, closest they got was 23.
Crows, got out to 40, closest they got was 31.

 

[Bazza97]

After today I'm optimistic that we'll be playing finals footy again next year.

Yeah I'd say the same. Stringer, Saad and Smith would be quality additions and just by adding more pure established talent to your list, it's enough for me to say you'll be playing in the finals again. I think you still need to add to your inside midfield stocks though and I reckon it's still a work in progress. Good chance to finish in the top 6 next year but the query I have on your midfield is what stops me from putting you in the top 4.

 

[Lsta062]

Some years feature at least one finals team that is a bit of a shock (Port Adelaide 2013, Bulldogs 2015, Richmond 2017). If there was one in 2018, what do people think about Brisbane?

Now, I know that this is very left field, but I honestly think that they are building a really strong forward line with a decent midfield. If they add Connor Ballenden from their academy (allegedly a talented tall forward), their pick 1 (if as good as Andrew McGrath), Charlie Cameron and Luke Hodge (a good mentor for them) to their team as well as keep a lot of their players fit, I think they could give the 8 a good go even as soon as next year. Their morale playing alongside Luke Hodge, who was a Premiership captain, would be a huge confidence booster IMO. The defence would let them down a little though from a personnel perspective, but again, having Hodge there coaching their defenders on field where to run like he did at Hawthorn this season would be big.

 

[Bazza97]

Some years feature at least one finals team that is a bit of a shock (Port Adelaide 2013, Bulldogs 2015, Richmond 2017). If there was one in 2018, what do people think about Brisbane?

Now, I know that this is very left field, but I honestly think that they are building a really strong forward line with a decent midfield. If they add Connor Ballenden from their academy (allegedly a talented tall forward), their pick 1 (if as good as Andrew McGrath), Charlie Cameron and Luke Hodge (a good mentor for them) to their team as well as keep a lot of their players fit, I think they could give the 8 a good go even as soon as next year. Their morale playing alongside Luke Hodge, who was a Premiership captain, would be a huge confidence booster IMO. The defence would let them down a little though from a personnel perspective, but again, having Hodge there coaching their defenders on field where to run like he did at Hawthorn this season would be big.

I won't touch base on everything but think Brisbane's finals window will open between 2019-20. They look to be building nicely on all areas of the ground. Cameron and Hodge would be quality recruits for Brisbane's rebuild.

I think their midfield is a little light on and for the short-term it's a blow that Rockliff has left. Beams and Zorko are high quality mids but after that there is a bit of a gap. Means the likes of Mathieson and Berry will need to step up and will be given increased responsibility which really is a good thing for their development although it's understandable if they struggle playing consistently throughout the season. In saying that, the likes of Robinson and Bastinac provide mature bodies and can play through there, perhaps Rich plays more in the midfield as well to help out the younger mids and the likes of Zorko and Beams.

Their defence is still a work in progress but has improved and I think they've built the foundations of their backline. Hodge is going to help out immensely with his coaching on the field and experience.

Their forward line should be quality as well. Think they had one of the most efficient forward lines in the comp in the 2nd half of this year in terms of generating scores per I50.

I don't think they will play finals in 2018 but if they have the sort of season where you could say pretty confidently that they are one of the leading contenders to make finals the following year, they will have done very well. An early call but think Brisbane's wins range in 2018 for me is 6-10 wins. I personally think they are a good chance to avoid bottom 4 but top 8 I reckon is a bit beyond them for next season.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Win one flag in 37 years My son 4 years old and his seen three he thinks hawks are relevant

Is His your uvver sun?

 

[ThaiTiger]

If you study and analysis all recent data and graph the recent trends there is only one conclusion. Richmond. Best to start with the Grand Final and work back. WARNING: It may offend some viewers.

 

[Go the Guts]

After today I'm optimistic that we'll be playing finals footy again next year.

And after today i'll be optimistic if Adelaide make the top 8.

 

[Tigers_fan24]

Win one flag in 37 years My son 4 years old and his seen three he thinks hawks are relevant

Won't be the first time in his life that he's wrong. Hawks have won two more flags than Richmond. Whoopdi Doo

 

[The Dice Man]

Too early to guess really, but 1 thing is I just can't see how Carlton could possibly lose a game next year.

 

[ThaiTiger]

Too early to guess really, but 1 thing is I just can't see how Carlton could possibly lose a game next year.

Maybe only to the Tigers but it would be a good story. Tigers V Blues Granny. Good for football. The young blues almost clinch it from the superior Tigers...
We can do that.