Prediction Who will finish higher - Sydney, GWS or Geelong

[VineyToClark]

3 teams who all performed below expectations this year given they'd all have had top 4 as a minimum pass mark coming into this year.

No doubt they'd all be aiming high again next year. People have written off all these teams but for Sydney and Geelong that's nothing new. Both have been written off consistently over the years yet both seem to have their places in the top 8 reserved for them every year as they just don't miss the finals.

Who will finish higher next year?

 

[JayJ20]

I think GWS are comfortably the best of the 3.

GWS
Geelong
Sydney

 

[Colonial]

Depends if the injury curse is over or not

If it is we make the 4. If not

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

How did we get jumped with the has beens.

Seriously I'd be wary of writing off either the Swans or the Cats. Both clubs have shown an impressive ability to renew on the fly. Leon actually mentioned both along with the Hawks as club systems we need to try and emulate in an interview in 2017.

I'm bullish about our prospects next year though, so us.

 

[Bazza97]

I find it hard separating these three teams. They could all be serious challengers for the flag next year. My gut feel atm is that Geelong will finish higher than Sydney and GWS. Currently this is my order.

Geelong
GWS
Sydney

In saying that, I can definitely see the order being reversed

 

[dylan93]

GWS - Between 3rd and 6th
Sydney - Between 6th and 10th
Geelong - Between 7th and 12th

 

[Sttew]

I find it hard separating these three teams. They could all be serious challengers for the flag next year. My gut feel atm is that Geelong will finish higher than Sydney and GWS. Currently this is my order.

Geelong
GWS
Sydney

In saying that, I can definitely see the order being reversed

You've covered all bases

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

You've covered all bases

He's generally a very polite poster.

 

[Unique Name]

GWS - 4th - 8th
Geelong - 6th - 10th
Swans - 7th - 13th

I have a feeling though that it will be similar to this year and there will only be a game or two between 5th and 12th.

 

[Ian Dunross]

This is a tough one.

2 of the sides are poorly coached.

The other has a poor list, a couple of champions aside.

2 of them are overdue for a slide.

One keeps losing gun players.

Very hard to predict.

 

[Bazza97]

You've covered all bases

Haha yeah pretty much. I'm genuinely very open to what might happen next year not just with these three teams but all the other teams in general. I'm not sold on the Cats and Swans dropping out of the top 8 which has been predicted by many. I feel both teams are good enough to be top 4 again and become one of the standout teams of the comp. There's not a lot separating the top 12 or so teams I reckon so I think there's a lot of possibilities for next season.

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Interesting group. My prediction would be GWS, they should, in my opinion, finish top 4 this year assuming an average run with injuries.

Swans have some good young talent coming up, and a great system around their club. My worry for them is a heavy reliance on the fortunes of Buddy. If Buddy can have a big year they’ll be somewhere in the 8, otherwise it may be a quick reset for them - I don’t think they’ll ever be down for long with the way they are currently run.

Which leaves Geelong. If they can get a good, consistent year out of Ablett, Selwood, Dangerfield and Hawkins with their lesser players playing their roles, I think they could finish as high as 3/4. I’m not sure that will happen though, and I don’t think they have the depth to cover any of those guys if they go down. If I were to have a bet, I’d say 7-12 is more likely. Another very well run club, can’t see them floundering at the bottom - bit of a list clear out and some clever trading would have them back fairly quickly were the lower end of that prediction to happen.

 

[VineyToClark]

This is a tough one.

2 of the sides are poorly coached.

The other has a poor list, a couple of champions aside.

Which is the side that is not poorly coached? Seen all 3 coaches get criticised for underperforming.

Also who has the poor list?

 

[Ian Dunross]

Which is the side that is not poorly coached? Seen all 3 coaches get criticised for underperforming.

Also who has the poor list?

Geelong and GWS poorly coached in my opinion.

Sydney with a poor to average list dotted with some superstars.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

Geelong and GWS poorly coached in my opinion.

Sydney with a poor to average list dotted with some superstars.

Longmire is a good coach. We've played the Swans twice in finals though and they've gone in heavy favourites both times. It's two zip in Leon's favour.

 

[Ian Dunross]

Longmire is a good coach. We've played the Swans twice in finals though and they've gone in heavy favourites both times. It's two zip in Leon's favour.

If the Swans were favourite in 2018, it's a mystery. They were awful all season and Franklin was on one leg.

Longmire gets an average list in finals again and again.

Cameron gifted a once in a lifetime list and falls short.

Mind you, they were unlucky in 2016 losing Ward in the prelim.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

If the Swans were favourite in 2018, it's a mystery. They were awful all season and Franklin was on one leg.

Longmire gets an average list in finals again and again.

Cameron gifted a once in a lifetime list and falls short.

Mind you, they were unlucky in 2016 losing Ward in the prelim.

I've heard the "you should have won multiple flags by now" argument so often I'm well and truly over it.

 

[Ian Dunross]

I've heard the "you should have won multiple flags by now" argument so often I'm well and truly over it.

No one could care less whether you're over it.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

No one could care less whether you're over it.

I do quite a bit. I see your ignorance is incurable though.

 

[WillHayward]

The Reid and Tippett contracts have been disastrous for the Swans and left us in a situation where we are too Buddy reliant and centric. Tippett was a total disaster. Arggghhh.
We need to find a new key fwd but that is not easy and may take years.

Giants still have a stack of young talent and will be up top 6 again.

Geelong - hard to say. But they won't be terrible.

GWS 4-7
Geelong 7-10
Swans 8-11

 

[Whiskers]

Cats really need to work on winning the close ones. Strangely people only remember us beating the dees but we lost far more tight contests than we won.
The only game we were never in during the H&A year was the Essendon game. We had the 2nd best % in the league, which is a fair indicator to how good teams are, reverse one of those results vs the hawks and we are top 4.
People remember our year as poor but really the difference between a decent one and our 8th was minuscule.

Anyway seems like our club has reacted hard to our finals loss vs the dees and we are trying to copy Richmond’s style next year.
I don’t know how that will work out but I hope we will have learnt to put sides away.

 

[Wojcinski]

Cats really need to work on winning the close ones. Strangely people only remember us beating the dees but we lost far more tight contests than we won.
The only game we were never in during the H&A year was the Essendon game. We had the 2nd best % in the league, which is a fair indicator to how good teams are, reverse one of those results vs the hawks and we are top 4.
People remember our year as poor but really the difference between a decent one and our 8th was minuscule.

Anyway seems like our club has reacted hard to our finals loss vs the dees and we are trying to copy Richmond’s style next year.
I don’t know how that will work out but I hope we will have learnt to put sides away.

Geelong was 2W 3L in games decided by 3 points or less and has an average losing margin of 12 points over 9 games. This contributed to Geelong having the second best percentage for the season despite finishing in 8th position on 13 wins.

My personal opinion is that we'll either finish in the 14-16 win range or we'll win about 8 games and begin a proper rebuild. It'll be an all-or-nothing season because its probably their last with all of their genuine elite players still firing.

 

[Whiskers]

Geelong was 2W 3L in games decided by 3 points or less and has an average losing margin of 12 points over 9 games. This contributed to Geelong having the second best percentage for the season despite finishing in 8th position on 13 wins.

My personal opinion is that we'll either finish in the 14-16 win range or we'll win about 8 games and begin a proper rebuild. It'll be an all-or-nothing season because its probably their last with all of their genuine elite players still firing.

Yeah 2-3 under 3 points but that’s not taking into account our ridiculous choke at home vs swans being 4 goals up at 3QT, the eagles loss, 16 points up halfway through the last but than 3 key injuries and the Hawks late in the season.
You’re right though, this season feels like all or nothing.

 

[adammania9]

The main reason Geelong had the second biggest percentage is those last two thumpings at Kardinia Park given to finished Fremantle and Gold Coast sides. Heading into round 22, their percentage was the seventh best in the league.

 

[Wojcinski]

The main reason Geelong had the second biggest percentage is those last two thumpings at Kardinia Park given to finished Fremantle and Gold Coast sides. Heading into round 22, their percentage was the seventh best in the league.

Did the other top 8 teams not play Fremantle or Gold Coast during the season?