Opinion Who wins the Premiership? (Updated poll - Updated for Prelims))

Who wins the 2020 Flag - Prelim finals onward

  • Port Adelaide

    Votes: 36 10.3%
  • Brisbane Lions

    Votes: 57 16.3%
  • Richmond Tigers

    Votes: 154 44.1%
  • Geelong Cats

    Votes: 102 29.2%

  • Total voters
    349
Oct 2, 2008
8,897
18,482
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Brothers of Destruction
What makes Richmond better then their contenders is the fact they've won a premiership.
We've seen this with GWS in the Grand Final last year, arm wrestle in the first quarter, but once they dropped a few goals, serious doubt begin to creep in. Whilst Richmond wouldn't have the same doubt, they've won a premiership before. This is what makes teams that have won a premierhsip before more appealing.

This is why many highly rate West Coast, theyve done it before. The ideology is, if you make top 4 and won a premiership before, the pathway is easier the next time.

What I will say is, when a top team like Richmond face anyone in a final, that opponent has a really high intensity for a quarter and a bit. Higher than usual, they are the underdog. If Richmond are marginally off in intensity, they're gone.

If that intensity results in scoreboard pressure, that team can run away with the game and beat Richmond. If the Tigers can control that pressure and ride through to the second half, serious doubts begin to mount and the contender deteriorates into a pretender.
 
Oct 3, 2012
12,763
24,375
AFL Club
Richmond
Well if you can't get over the third best team on your home ground when it matters, you're evidently not the best team - are you?

All the above nonsense you spelled out there just shows me that you have derived great benefit from finals being arbitrarily played at your home ground.
Ummm yes? Teams have off days. The reality of best of 1 series is the winning team is not always the better teams.

Team plays better on their home ground. Is that really what you got out of that? Hahahaa.
Also the 86 point turnaround against the Cats in 2019 was from games both at the G. So clearly the ground is less relevant than you think,

Maybe I should have also added the Brisbane game. We beat them by 27 points at the G and then 47 points at the Gabba in a final. +20 point change. Going from home to away. But yeh bud, all the G lmao.

Margins from home and away results compared to finals

2017
Cats + 65 (Away to home)
Giants + 39 (Away to home)
Crows +124 (Away to home)

2018
Hawks + 18 (Same ground)
Pies 1st matchup - 82 (Same ground)
Pies 2nd matchup - 67 (Same ground)

2019
Brisbane + 20 (Home to away)
Cats + 86 (Same ground)
Giants 1st matchup + 138 (Away to Home)
Giants 2nd matchup + 62 (Same ground)

Doesn't seem to really matter does it? Other than the Pies we have always performed better in the finals. Also 'arbitrarily ' playing on our home ground? 2/10 finals would've been on a different ground if the higher team got their choice.
And 2018 and our loss to the Pies shows the negatives of being an MCG tenant. Finished top, 2 home finals, 2 neural games against other MCG tenants. Its not all good.
 
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10571z

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 23, 2006
15,894
16,839
Christmas Hills
AFL Club
Collingwood
This is where i sit

Favourite - Richmond, Probably 30 points better than any side on their day. System, Spirt and talent is there.

Chances - Port, Geelong, West Coast - All on their day can win it but would take a lot to go right.

Pretenders - Brisbane - They cant win it. Miss to many goals and cant beat Richmond.

Dark horse - Bulldogs - I like them, they were my pre season tip. They have the talent around the ground. Backline probably not quite up to it but they have the star power to win it
 
Sep 23, 2006
10,593
14,967
Perth
AFL Club
West Coast
Other Teams
Subiaco
I'm tipping we don't meet Richmond in the finals.

Finals.png


Of course this relies on them losing next week to Adelaide but a man can dream can't he? Besides, it's not that unrealistic - a currently very in form Adelaide playing at home desperate to avoid their first ever wooden spoon against a side having travelled and also due a loss after 5 wins on the trot.
 

queensberryrules

Club Legend
Aug 16, 2019
2,670
3,722
AFL Club
Collingwood
What makes Richmond better then their contenders is the fact they've won a premiership.
We've seen this with GWS in the Grand Final last year, arm wrestle in the first quarter, but once they dropped a few goals, serious doubt begin to creep in. Whilst Richmond wouldn't have the same doubt, they've won a premiership before. This is what makes teams that have won a premierhsip before more appealing.

This is why many highly rate West Coast, theyve done it before. The ideology is, if you make top 4 and won a premiership before, the pathway is easier the next time.

What I will say is, when a top team like Richmond face anyone in a final, that opponent has a really high intensity for a quarter and a bit. Higher than usual, they are the underdog. If Richmond are marginally off in intensity, they're gone.

If that intensity results in scoreboard pressure, that team can run away with the game and beat Richmond. If the Tigers can control that pressure and ride through to the second half, serious doubts begin to mount and the contender deteriorates into a pretender.
Pomposity.
 

10571z

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 23, 2006
15,894
16,839
Christmas Hills
AFL Club
Collingwood
Brisbane vs Richmond in my view.

Sorry Port fans but like Brisbane last year the current group might need to play a couple of finals first before winning a flag.
Brisbane are so ordinary. They’ll lose to Richmond week one and wouldn’t be surprised to see them straight sets if they come against pies or west coast
 
Apr 20, 2014
43,188
88,218
Brunch
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Aston Villa
Brissy will have a "coming of age" game at some point and get over a big team in a final
This.

The last 2 times they've played us, last years QF and earlier this season, they've been all over us early, but failed to convert their opportunities. When they have a day when they convert early, they'll do a job.

It's a mental hurdle. Once they jump it, they're away. The talent is there.
 

10571z

Brownlow Medallist
Aug 23, 2006
15,894
16,839
Christmas Hills
AFL Club
Collingwood
This.

The last 2 times they've played us, last years QF and earlier this season, they've been all over us early, but failed to convert their opportunities. When they have a day when they convert early, they'll do a job.

It's a mental hurdle. Once they jump it, they're away. The talent is there.
I honestly don’t rate them. Lucky to beat so many average sides including Kangas. I still this they are a year or 2 away. Then again this might be bumped when they win the flag in a month haha
 
Brisbane are so ordinary. They’ll lose to Richmond week one and wouldn’t be surprised to see them straight sets if they come against pies or west coast

Of course, being a young team mostly playing at home so far, they could bomb - but I think they would have learnt from last year.

A team like Port might be more vulnerable to a straight sets imo.
 
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