2025 AFL Early Preview - which teams improve? Which teams drop?

[Geezington]

Can’t see the hawks finishing in the top 8 they have a shit midfield and a shit forward line, they’ve really ****ed up blowing so much of their cap on two defenders aswell for a club that’s apparently so well run they’ve been making a lot of blunders over the past few years

 

[Baldur]

St Kilda 4th & flag

Carlton 9th final round fall out of eight

Essendon 8th and lose final

Then I wake up

 

[gringo2011]

Can’t see the hawks finishing in the top 8 they have a shit midfield and a shit forward line, they’ve really ****ed up blowing so much of their cap on two defenders aswell for a club that’s apparently so well run they’ve been making a lot of blunders over the past few years

I think I forgot to put them in. The had a dream injury run and heap of hype too carry them through 2024. I reckon things could get harder next year.

 

[Diehard Saint]

West Coast and Richmond are going to be bottom 2. Nearly every other side has some claim on a top 8 spot.


Sides in premiership window-

Brisbane- probably back up next year. Brilliant list and a style that stacks up in finals.
Carlton- good for a laugh but with a good injury run are top 4.
Fremantle- should have made it and with a developing list have potential to go better.
Dogs-have the list but disappointing motivation. Kids more mature and they should be better.
GWS- losing players again but their best 22 is excellent.
Sydney- are young but potential for a GF beat up hang over.

Next tier pushing to make the 8-

St Kilda- should be better with a good draw and injury luck
Essendon- Not a great end to the season but showed improvement.
Geelong- always there about but despite top 4 probably lucky to make it as far as they did.
Port- Always there about but unsettled and losing a few to replace a few. Could be top 4, could fall outside.
Adelaide- another that had moments of looking on the way up but fell over.
Gold Coast - surely this is the year they push top 4....maybe not but they should play finals. I think.
Pies- still good but getting older.
Melbourne- Who knows what they can do it things settle down. The list is still there but everything else stinks.
North will break out at some point. Probably a year too early but given a good run who knows. They will have a rapid development burst at some point and will stretch a few sides more regularly regardless.

The shit sides that are making up numbers-

West Coast- young and average list. Probably win games at home but not enough to push up.
Richmond- going full bottom out rebuild. Probably lucky to win 4 games next year unless a miracle happens.

Obviously with 16 sides to go into 8 spots it really is going to come down to draw, depth, injury, improvement etc.

Sides likely to drop down are probably Sydney, Geelong, Pies etc. Melbourne and Port question marks too.

You missed our second favourite team…the “Hoks”

 

[austinnn]

Soooooooo, now that the 2025 lists are more or less settled - we're still hesitating on whether to add "Body" Boyd (ducks for cover) - and the coaching boxes are more or less settled, anyone care to revise their predictions?

I think I'm sticking to my previous:

1 Bulldogs
2 Cats
3 Lions
4 Dockers
5 Giants
6 Saints
7 Hawks
8 Swans
-----------------
9 Magpies
10 Blues
11 Suns
12 Power
13 Eagles
14 Kangaroos
15 Crows
16 Bombers
17 Demons
18 Tigers

Might be a bit harsh on the Demons there, but I think an implosion is imminent. Bulldogs must have got behind Bevo now, we'll see where that goes. I dont know why I think Eagles will do that well, I might switch them with the Crows.

On second thoughts, maybe this:

1 Bulldogs
2 Cats
3 Lions
4 Dockers
5 Saints
6 Giants
7 Magpies
8 Hawks
-----------------
9 Swans
10 Blues
11 Power
12 Suns
13 Kangaroos
14 Crows
15 Eagles
16 Demons
17 Bombers
18 Tigers

 

[SinCitySainter]

At the end of the home and away I see the ladder looking something like this:

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

What happens in the finals is anyone's guess.

I just don't see us improving greatly our outs over balance our ins for next year though it should be in or favor in a couple of years.
Adding Macrae should help our midfield if he can still play to a high standard, but we have weakened our forward line and backline. I don't believe the addition of Carroll will have any impact to our side at all and except for maybe Garcia I can't see any of the youngsters becoming legitimate best 22 (note: Pou, Wilson, Windy, Owens and NAS are already best 22). I say legitimate as I am sure one of the draftees will play from day one whether they earn the spot or not.

 

[cartel]

Cannot see us making finals, challenging draw and seem to be regenerating a bit. Think we are heading in right direction though.

 

[Kildonan]

My predictions for season 2025

1 Sydney
2 Brisbane
3 Hawthorn
4 Fremantle

5 Geelong
6 Port Adelaide
7 Collingwood
8 Adelaide
9 Western Bulldogs
10 GWS
11 Carlton
12 Gold Coast

13 St Kilda
14 Essendon
15 Melbourne

16 North Melbourne
17 WCE

18 Richmond

I think many teams may have a poor start to the season including St Kilda, but as injured players return and new recruits develop in fitness we (and Sydney, Western Bulldogs, GWS, Richmond and maybe others) will catch up.

I hope this will be our last season finishing outside the eight. Ross Lyon will want to establish a game play or style of play that everyone buys into selflessly. The results may not be encouraging early but this season will lay the foundation for sustained success hopefully culminating in ultimate success in 2027 and again soon after that.