Play Nice 2018 Ladder Predictions

Drewie11

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Oct 15, 2015
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We played them in round 1 and they were the previous year's Grand Finalist. Doesn't count in your eyes.

Not to worry though. Port Adelaide have plenty of room for improvement and have filled a few glaring needs whilst improving our side on paper considerably.
I wouldn't be so sure about the Crows though. In fact I'd put money on them sliding next year. Kissed on the dick with injuries and by the umpires. The competition won't be so forgiving next year as other teams will improve and things will even up. You blew your chance and now you're the oldest team in the comp.

You can keep hanging your hat on nothing wins though, as if they mean anything in the end.


https://www.google.com.au/amp/s/amp...y/news-story/260167253f20b80354b15fc8ee3de301

Think again, Adelaide had a good run with injuries but have a look at Port. Absolutely kissed on the dick.

You guys will have a harder draw and probably won’t get the injury run like you had last year. If Dixon goes down then your next best forward is Marshall and when he turns sideways no one can see him.

Yes teams will get better but that goes for you guys too.
 
Why why Port 'kissed on the dick'? I'm pretty sure in a final we would have much preferred to play Hombsch (inj), Broadbent (inj) and Jonas (susp.) against a side with Kennedy, Darling and Le Cras over Bonner (4 games), Howard (10 games) and Houston (17 games)...who all will be good but don't have the experience needed for a final. That goes for Marshall (3 games) on McGovern as well.

Then you add Byrne-Jones and Clurey to the list, both of whom have played under 50 games, and it's understandable why Port didn't perform the way a Richmond with Rance (175 games), Grimes (104 games), Houli (170 games), Ellis (135 games) and Vlaustin (96 games) did in finals.

Put Broadbent (161 games), Jonas (103 games) and Hombsch (84 games) into our back lines and the first quarter against West Coast would have never happened because the West Coast mids wouldn't have gone after our young, inexperienced defence the way they did. Hartlett and Pittard were the most senior players in our defence.

It's why I can't understand anyone who leaves Hombsch and Broadbent out of our best 22 for the likes of Bonner and Howard. The first two should be locks if we want to win a flag. The latter two should be concentrating on building up their number of games played when we rotate players through injury or resting them...because if Bonner and Howard are in our best 22 we're not playing finals in 2018, due to them being not very good at defence.
 

Magus

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Swans weren't in the 8.
Yes you did beat the Eagles, but they were in and out of the 8 just making up numbers, just an ordinary side, if that's Ports claim to fame for the year then it was a massive fail. You said the Crows play AO extremely well but you couldn't even beat the Eagles on two separate occasions this year. I cant see you making the 8 in 2018

No-one is in the 8 before round 1 has finished.

Who said beating the Eagles was a claim to fame? People are only correcting the statement that we didn't beat a top 8 side. No-one is proud of 2017 but they can recognise that we did improve and that our off-season has been successful in overturning the list and targeting specific needs.

We were one win away from top 4 and have made our 22 considerably stronger. If you think that equates to us missing the 8 then I don't know what to tell you.
 

dean33

Brownlow Medallist
Oct 10, 2007
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No-one is in the 8 before round 1 has finished.

Who said beating the Eagles was a claim to fame? People are only correcting the statement that we didn't beat a top 8 side. No-one is proud of 2017 but they can recognise that we did improve and that our off-season has been successful in overturning the list and targeting specific needs.

We were one win away from top 4 and have made our 22 considerably stronger. If you think that equates to us missing the 8 then I don't know what to tell you.
Port are an interesting one, I didn’t rate them this year and thought the eagles would roll them first up. Rockcliff is a good pick up no doubt and gives them extra grunt, Watts and motlop? Who knows, when they put it together both can be damaging however they lack for consistency. They could either bolt into the top 4 or meander around mid table.
 

TheRoo32

Premiership Player
Jul 22, 2012
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For Adelaide it’s easy to see them missing the eight. Imagine their performance of 2017 except:

Adelaide lose both Showdowns instead of winning both - takes them to 13 wins

Adelaide drop one of their games against Essendon instead of winning both - 12 wins.

If they lose to Collingwood like they should have this year - 11 wins.

Do I think it will happen? Nope. But without Lever, Smith and Cameron it’s quite possible, even with Gibbs.
That is one of the more bizarre and delusional analyses I have seen.

Crows beat Port by 84 points in the second showdown, and beat Essendon by a combined 100+ points over there two meetings.

Now it's a theory of 'imagine they lose some of the games they won and they could slide'.

Apply that 'logic' to any side and it is the same...
 

Magus

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Port are an interesting one, I didn’t rate them this year and thought the eagles would roll them first up. Rockcliff is a good pick up no doubt and gives them extra grunt, Watts and motlop? Who knows, when they put it together both can be damaging however they lack for consistency. They could either bolt into the top 4 or meander around mid table.

Yep most would agree that they're inconsistent however their best is considerably better than Impey and the failed Trengove as a forward experiment.
 
That is one of the more bizarre and delusional analyses I have seen.

Crows beat Port by 84 points in the second showdown, and beat Essendon by a combined 100+ points over there two meetings.

Now it's a theory of 'imagine they lose some of the games they won and they could slide'.

Apply that 'logic' to any side and it is the same...

You also got flogged by North by 60 and managed to turn a 30+ point lead against Melbourne into a 40+ point loss.

Let’s not pretend you were or are a super team. And just because something wss doesn’t mean it will be.
 

Magus

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You also got flogged by North by 60 and managed to turn a 30+ point lead against Melbourne into a 40+ point loss.

Let’s not pretend you were or are a super team. And just because something wss doesn’t mean it will be.

Also making Collingwood, Hawthorn and Carlton look pretty good away from home.

Gotta play well in Melbourne if you're any chance at the big dance.
 
Why why Port 'kissed on the dick'? I'm pretty sure in a final we would have much preferred to play Hombsch (inj), Broadbent (inj) and Jonas (susp.) against a side with Kennedy, Darling and Le Cras over Bonner (4 games), Howard (10 games) and Houston (17 games)...who all will be good but don't have the experience needed for a final. That goes for Marshall (3 games) on McGovern as well.

Then you add Byrne-Jones and Clurey to the list, both of whom have played under 50 games, and it's understandable why Port didn't perform the way a Richmond with Rance (175 games), Grimes (104 games), Houli (170 games), Ellis (135 games) and Vlaustin (96 games) did in finals.

Put Broadbent (161 games), Jonas (103 games) and Hombsch (84 games) into our back lines and the first quarter against West Coast would have never happened because the West Coast mids wouldn't have gone after our young, inexperienced defence the way they did. Hartlett and Pittard were the most senior players in our defence.

It's why I can't understand anyone who leaves Hombsch and Broadbent out of our best 22 for the likes of Bonner and Howard. The first two should be locks if we want to win a flag. The latter two should be concentrating on building up their number of games played when we rotate players through injury or resting them...because if Bonner and Howard are in our best 22 we're not playing finals in 2018, due to them being not very good at defence.
For the record.

Using Jonas being suspended as justification for Port not being kissed on the dick by injury doesn't work.
 
May 8, 2007
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No-one is in the 8 before round 1 has finished.
Who said beating the Eagles was a claim to fame? People are only correcting the statement that we didn't beat a top 8 side. No-one is proud of 2017 but they can recognise that we did improve and that our off-season has been successful in overturning the list and targeting specific needs.
We were one win away from top 4 and have made our 22 considerably stronger. If you think that equates to us missing the 8 then I don't know what to tell you.
Watts and Motlop? really. They are club rejects for a reason. Rockliff was a good pickup but I doubt he will make much of a difference.
 

Alwaysacrow

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Jul 8, 2016
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That is one of the more bizarre and delusional analyses I have seen.

Crows beat Port by 84 points in the second showdown, and beat Essendon by a combined 100+ points over there two meetings.

Now it's a theory of 'imagine they lose some of the games they won and they could slide'.

Apply that 'logic' to any side and it is the same...
Janus logic
 
Nov 11, 2010
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No one seems to give the Hawks much chance of making the top 8. Some even have us in their bottom 4.

Its all just opinion from people who are hoping and guessing depending on their personal agendas. Hawthorn have been a very successful team for a long time so many opposition fans hope that they will fail for a while and their team will succeed. Other people hate teams because of their supporters, for dashing their teams hopes in the past or for thousands of other reasons.

I wouldn't worry about what other fans think. Hawthorn are just as likely to march up the ladder as any other team in 2018.
 
Apr 12, 2014
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Its all just opinion from people who are hoping and guessing depending on their personal agendas. Hawthorn have been a very successful team for a long time so many opposition fans hope that they will fail for a while and their team will succeed. Other people hate teams because of their supporters, for dashing their teams hopes in the past or for thousands of other reasons.

I wouldn't worry about what other fans think. Hawthorn are just as likely to march up the ladder as any other team in 2018.

I don’t need a ‘personal agenda’ to see that it is extremely unlikely the Hawks overtake enough teams above them to make the 8.
 
Nov 11, 2010
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I don’t need a ‘personal agenda’ to see that it is extremely unlikely the Hawks overtake enough teams above them to make the 8.

Just like it was 'extremely unlikely' Richmond would make the top 4, let along win the flag. The Hawks are still a chance of getting into the 8 just the same as Melbourne is a chance of missing them again or the Tigers not going back to back (don't laugh it could happen!)
 
Apr 10, 2014
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Swans weren't in the 8.
Yes you did beat the Eagles, but they were in and out of the 8 just making up numbers, just an ordinary side, if that's Ports claim to fame for the year then it was a massive fail. You said the Crows play AO extremely well but you couldn't even beat the Eagles on two separate occasions this year. I cant see you making the 8 in 2018

Of course Sydney weren't in the 8 after we beat them in Round 1...

The fact that Sydney & West Coast finished in the Top 8 constitutes them being Top 8 sides.
 
Nov 28, 2011
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whether or not we count Sydney / West Coast as top 8 sides / non-top 8 sides that Port beat is irrelevant

it's clear that Port had an issue playing top sides in 2017 that they need to address
 

Roovolution

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Nov 22, 2016
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You also got flogged by North by 60 and managed to turn a 30+ point lead against Melbourne into a 40+ point loss.

Let’s not pretend you were or are a super team. And just because something wss doesn’t mean it will be.

Richmond got flogged by 60+? by Essendon. What does that say about them? They also were beaten by Freo at the MCG but won the flag. It's extremely difficult to go an entire AFL season without having off days.
 
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