Which team is closer to playing in finals - Carlton, Gold Coast or St Kilda?

[RUNVS]

All three clubs are generally predicted to be in the bottom 3 in 2019, and while making predictions this far out from the 2019 season can be dangerous I still feel that if asked most people would say that Carlton, Gold Coast and St Kilda are all going to struggle next year.

So my question is which team do you think has the better list, and I am not just talking about the 2019 season, but more talking about the future beyond that, so which team do you think is closer to being able to push for finals.

Here are the supposed best 22's of each team in 2019, just to help you out a bit.

Carlton
B: Lachie Plowman, Jacob Weitering, Nic Newman
HB: Kade Simpson, Caleb Marchbank, Sam Docherty
C: Ed Curnow, Paddy Dow, Marc Murphy
HF: Sam Petrevski-Seton, Charlie Curnow, Mitch McGovern
F: Jarrod Pickett, Harry McKay, Alex Fasolo
FOLL: Matthew Kreuzer, Patrick Cripps, Zac Fisher
I/C: Lochie O'Brien, Matthew Kennedy, Dale Thomas, Will Setterfield

Gold Coast
B: Jesse Joyce, Rory Thompson, Callum Ah Chee
HB: Pearce Hanley, Jack Hombsch, Jarrod Harbrow
C: Lachie Weller, Anthony Miles, Jack Martin
HF:Josh Corbett, Sam Day, Ben Ainsworth
F: Alex Sexton, Peter Wright, Aaron Young
FOLL: Jarrod Witts, Touk Miller, David Swallow
I/C: Will Brodie, Jarryd Lyons, Jack Bowes, Nick Holman

St Kilda
B: Jarryn Geary, Nathan Brown, Daniel McKenzie
HB: Dylan Roberton, Jake Carlisle, Jimmy Webster
C: Hunter Clark, Jack Steele, Dan Hannebery
HF: Blake Acres, Tim Membrey, Jack Billings
F: Jade Gresham, Josh Bruce, Jack Lonie
FOLL: Billy Longer, Seb Ross, Jack Steven
I/C: Ben Long, Paddy McCartin, Dean Kent, Shane Savage

For me this is such a hard decision as all three teams certainly have faults and look a fair way off but I think Carlton is probably closest as while they are not a good team, I feel like they have the nucleus of a good side with quite a lot of young players who will only get better in the next few years, though in saying that they do have some older players they will need to find replacements for pretty soon as well. I think Cripps, Dow, Kennedy and Setterfield could form a good midfield, especially with the addition of Walsh, and their young key position players are showing some promise, even if they are still quite young and need to mature.

So what do you think, which list do you think is in a better position going forward, a position where they could play finals?

 

[Baird]

Saints

Assuming you forgot about Newnes?

 

[Bostonian]

Saints

Assuming you forgot about Newnes?

After the season he just had it's not hard to forget him.

Went backwards big time.

 

[Baird]

After the season he just had it's not hard to forget him.

Went backwards big time.

I know but I could've sworn he had a game this year where he had something like 30 and 4? But apparently not according to footywire. Saints fans really overhyped him.

 

[Hamingja]

I would have thought Carlton pretty easily since the other two are still going backwards.

What year before any of them make the finals?

 

[raskolnikov]

I would have thought Carlton pretty easily since the other two are still going backwards.

What year before any of them make the finals?

With the rate of knots Geelong are going backwards probably all of them before Geelong.

 

[joop]

I know but I could've sworn he had a game this year where he had something like 30 and 4? But apparently not according to footywire. Saints fans really overhyped him.

I’d love to see any saints fan that over hyped newnes.

 

[Hamingja]

With the rate of knots Geelong are going backwards probably all of them before Geelong.

I love the main board

 

[saintkildaman]

Saints will play finals in 2019.

 

[Luv_our_club]

Carlton
St Kilda -
Gold Coast

Sadly, I can't see St Kilda making the finals under Richardson (even if he is a good bloke),

Brisbane will be first, then Fremantle, then Carlton.

 

[Nostradumbass]

Once Ratten takes over at the Saints I expect to see an improvement.

 

[Rod Stroker]

That Carlton team looks like it most the most talent, so probably them. Which is weird to say given they only won 2 games this year and were horrible.

 

[Power Raid]

Saints

 

[WWSD]

Carlton and St Kilda both have a talented under 23 group of young players but I think both teams suffer from not having enough players in their prime. Players who are around 26-29 years old. At the moment perhaps St Kilda is ahead in terms of their progression but Carlton do have some very talented key position players.

 

[Great8]

Saints will play finals in 2019.

Are you changing coaches before the start of the season?

 

[SBYM]

We redefined dross this year.

What's a final?

 

[Carson Dial]

Carlton

 

[Bazza97]

Out of these three teams, I voted Carlton as having the best list moving forward. However, I think the Saints might be the closest to playing finals.

St Kilda had a very disappointing 2018 season but I think it's worth remembering that they were not far off finals the year before in 2017. I can see a much improved 2019 for St Kilda if Richo can get the list playing close to it's potential. If he can do that, then I don't think finals is beyond them.

I reckon Carlton could be a big improver as well in 2019 and if they can get themselves in a position where they are considered to be serious contenders for finals in 2020, then I think they will have done a very good job. I rate their list and future potential highly so I won't be surprised if they make some big inroads next year and have their best season under Bolton.

In regards to the Suns, I'm not expecting a big improvement in terms of wins and losses but I think they will be reasonably competitive. The mature-aged players the Suns have recruited from within the AFL as well as in the State Leagues should help in improving the Suns' overall competitiveness in games. The younger developing players should also benefit from the increasing support of these mature-aged players. I can see them winning more games next year than they did this year due to these mature-aged player additions as well as further improvement from their younger brigade.

 

[Juddernaut08]

Saints almost made finals in 2017. They had a bad year but given the unpredictabiliy of the league they could def make it in 2019.

 

[omgfridge]

Going with Carlton. They are terrible now but I at least see hope/promise.

Gold Coast list is horrendous and they can't maintain players. Saints just seem like they're going to keep lacking something. Recruiting cooked players like Hanners won't help either.

 

[JayJ20]

I'd say St Kilda. They've been underperforming in recent years. If the question was about talent, then Carlton easy.

 

[Rod Stroker]

Saints almost made finals in 2017. They had a bad year but given the unpredictabiliy of the league they could def make it in 2019.

They had a better list in 2017, with Riewoldt and Montagna. And they've just lost their starting ruckman in Hickey.

 

[Juddernaut08]

They had a better list in 2017, with Riewoldt and Montagna. And they've just lost their starting ruckman in Hickey.

I know, just saying Carlton and GC are still way off age-wise.

Saints could surprise in the next two years if everything clicks.

 

[Ocha905]

Saints have the best chance this year, Carlton from years 2-3. From there who knows? Gold Coast is a wild card. IF they draft well and somehow retain them they will have a seriously good nucleus.

 

[Nugett]

Daylight.