Opinion 2026 Predictions and Prognostications - Rise or Fall?

[GreyCrow]

Objectively we should be premiership favourites

I'm happy with the poster having this view. Yes Brisbane should be above us but our year in total should see us in that top tier of favouritism

 

[George CantStandYa]

I'm happy with the poster having this view. Yes Brisbane should be above us but our year in total should see us in that top tier of favouritism

Brisbane are a powerhouse who just got stronger, we did not improve our midfield, no way objectively we should we be considered premiership favourite.

 

[jackster83]

Brisbane are a powerhouse who just got stronger, we did not improve our midfield, no way objectively we should we be considered premiership favourite.

You could argue that we'll go past Geelong and Collingwood though.

Would help if we could stop losing to them on a regular basis.

 

[Hodgy]

Objectively we should be premiership favourites and not the back to back premiers who improved their list, have a heap of returning players and an elite midfield? And you reckon we have a better list than them?

There’s optimism and there’s delusion

Possibly right, however I don’t see Brisbane winning it next year. They have been up for 5 years straight, and I was interested this year talking to a couple of Glenelg players about the physical and mental toll that takes. Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong have no improvement left
in them and GC are GC. Freo and Footscray should both be thereabouts, but Rankine, Curtin, Rachelle, Keane and Michalaney all have huge improvement in them, and indeed all have the potential to be AA standard, while TT, Dawson and Worrell are already there. Add in Ah Chee and give Dowling, Draper and Edwards another pre season and it really is a special list.

 

[jackster83]

Possibly right, however I don’t see Brisbane winning it next year. They have been up for 5 years straight, and I was interested this year talking to a couple of Glenelg players about the physical and mental toll that takes. Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong have no improvement left
in them and GC are GC. Freo and Footscray should both be thereabouts, but Rankine, Curtin, Rachelle, Keane and Michalaney all have huge improvement in them, and indeed all have the potential to be AA standard, while TT, Dawson and Worrell are already there. Add in Ah Chee and give Dowling, Draper and Edwards another pre season and it really is a special list.

GWS will also slide IMO.

Quite a few of their key players are either getting long in the tooth or becoming increasingly injury prone.

 

[Eagleboy2011]

Possibly right, however I don’t see Brisbane winning it next year. They have been up for 5 years straight, and I was interested this year talking to a couple of Glenelg players about the physical and mental toll that takes. Collingwood, Hawthorn and Geelong have no improvement left
in them and GC are GC. Freo and Footscray should both be thereabouts, but Rankine, Curtin, Rachelle, Keane and Michalaney all have huge improvement in them, and indeed all have the potential to be AA standard, while TT, Dawson and Worrell are already there. Add in Ah Chee and give Dowling, Draper and Edwards another pre season and it really is a special list.

Brisbane will be much stronger with new recruits, priority draft picks and returning injured players.

 

[Hodgy]

Brisbane are a powerhouse who just got stronger, we did not improve our midfield, no way objectively we should we be considered premiership favourite.

Brisbane lost Ah Chee, Starcevich and Big Oscar, not sure they got stronger (I’m personally not sold on Allen, or that Draper is an upgrade on McInerney).
We lost no one and brought in Ah Chee

 

[Hodgy]

Brisbane will be much stronger with new recruits, priority draft picks and returning injured players.

Well we’ll see. As I mentioned they lost at least as much as they gained, their draft picks aren’t going to effect their side next year and the only real injuries they had for big chunks were Coleman and Hipwood from memory. Both good players, but hardly difference makers. Zorko and Neale are getting long in the tooth as well.

 

[weekend at bernies]

Reckon we won't make the 8. Nixs wont change anything, teams will have worked us out, be lucky to have a decent injury run again.

 

[King Patty]

Think Crows will win a final or two - should make a Prelim.

Improvement to come from

• Rankine in finals series
• Thilthorpe improving will give the coleman a shake.
• last years top 4 draft pick Sid Draper consolidating his spot in the team and possibly starting midfield.
• Ah Chee if added
• Dan Curtin - another year bigger stronger, faster, can play anywhere Nicks needs him.

The issue is Crows will become the hunted and will have a harder draw.....but overall should improve on last year IMO.

 

[1990crow]

I'm happy with the poster having this view. Yes Brisbane should be above us but our year in total should see us in that top tier of favouritism

I agree.

It will depend how a few develop.
Thilthorpe - should only get better
Rankine - can he finally put a full season together
Rachele - breakout year likely
Curtin - put that middle block over the full year? Midfield?
Soligo - injured/consistency?
Max - has another level to go to
Pedlar - finally a real contributor?
Murray - can he get back to his best?
Fogarty - has so much more to offer
Draper - hope 2025 was just an 18 y.o. not ready

 

[Jarman3]

My gut feel is that we'll be worse next year. We fell away badly in the latter part of the season and really got exposed, especially in the middle. I'm not really sure where the improvement comes from there... I guess maybe Curtin playing less wing and more midfield? Draper developing along a best case trajectory rather than a worst case. Someone (McAndrew?) challenging ROB for the ruck spot.

It just feels like a lot went right this year and we still fell way short.

Worst case scenario is another premature extension for Nicks before we have a chance to see how the year pans out.

 

[CDC60]

It almost certain to be a drop off from 2024 minor premiers given we had a decent draw and an excellent run with injuries. Our weaknesses, ruck, midfield strength and depth and coaching nous, won't take a giant leap but I think we'll improve in other areas with several players having their best season. We'll make finals but likely miss Top 4 on the ladder. Who knows in any final...having your best team fit and firing makes a hell of a difference

 

[JPetro83]

We will fall. 7th-11th.

 

[LoBu]

The quote that starts this thread is such a poor take, this kind of psychological projection of that poster as to some insight into the minds of the footy bosses down at West Lakes is lame.

Fair enough to say we are not going to finish better than 5th, but the rest is just crap.

There is only one objective way to assess if the season 2026 is better than 2025 is whether we win a final. We can't finish home and away better than top, and we can't finish finals worst than losing.

Was it disappointing we didn't get a midfielder in, yes, but the reality was there was none - so we move on.

There were so many highlights in 2025 - and all of them were our youth. This projects us exceptionally well to continue our form.

Ultimately all we want is to ensure what ever we do in 2026 means we get to the grand final in 2027. That means finals wins, and improved performance from our 10-20th best players: Michalanney, Milera, Murray, Cumming, Curtin, Pedlar, Fogarty, Peatling, Hinge, Draper.

Prediction: win 1 final, possibly 2.

 

[DJ75]

Given we were 1st at end of minor round, it's pretty hard to rise...

Regardless, the finals showed that we aren't near top 4 material. We had a good draw and maximised our results.

The reality is that in 2025 we were probably around 6th best.

In 2026, all going well, we should be around the same.
Brisbane, Geelong, Gold Coast, GWS, Hawthorn should all be better than us. We are in the next mix.

 

[GreyCrow]

The quote that starts this thread is such a poor take, this kind of psychological projection of that poster as to some insight into the minds of the footy bosses down at West Lakes is lame.

Fair enough to say we are not going to finish better than 5th, but the rest is just crap.

There is only one objective way to assess if the season 2026 is better than 2025 is whether we win a final. We can't finish home and away better than top, and we can't finish finals worst than losing.

Was it disappointing we didn't get a midfielder in, yes, but the reality was there was none - so we move on.

There were so many highlights in 2025 - and all of them were our youth. This projects us exceptionally well to continue our form.

Ultimately all we want is to ensure what ever we do in 2026 means we get to the grand final in 2027. That means finals wins, and improved performance from our 10-20th best players: Michalanney, Milera, Murray, Cumming, Curtin, Pedlar, Fogarty, Peatling, Hinge, Draper.

Prediction: win 1 final, possibly 2.

Do you think we have improved

Our squad
Our coaching dept?

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Hard to see us maintaining an 18-5 record, even if we go well

I'll guess 15-8 but hopefully we finish the season stronger, squad healthy and actually turn up in September

 

[skam85]

Reality is this year should have been a Hawthorn 2024 season, plucky young team winning a final and coming close to a prelim. Next year could have then mirrored Hawthorn's 2025 season and we build from there.

Instead we peaked when it didn't matter and failed when it did, which I think has set us back a year or two.

 

[Mileratkinsshow]

Reckon we won't make the 8. Nixs wont change anything, teams will have worked us out, be lucky to have a decent injury run again.

Except that he can no longer be seduced to pick the experience of crouch and Smith and the je ne sais quoi that Number 4 brought to the team. No games to Schoenberg. I think he is backed into a corner where he must give games to Edwards, Draper, Oscar Ryan, and probably Dowling, and experiment with a Tex replacement at times.

 

[Mileratkinsshow]

I have us in the 3-6 range, for what it’s worth.

 

[George CantStandYa]

When does the fixture come out?

 

[LoBu]

Do you think we have improved

Our squad
Our coaching dept?

Really hard to tell given we have Finbar and Cotton in, but there is still opportunity to get Ah Chee in, and who knows what will happen at the draft (first rounder pick 20 or do we move up?).

Given we have moved out first 18 player Smith and first choice depth player Lachie Murphy and if Ah Chee happens then yes, I'd say we have improved.

Coaching department, I expect given that Murray has a whole year under his belt and that we have had finals experience for the first time for most of them, yes I expect we will have a better 2025 - with significant learnings from this year, especially in preparing for finals.

People forget that Blight had lost 3 grand finals before the perfect preparations of 1997 and 1998 2017 and 2018 - without the great home and away seasons. This can only happen with experience.

Unlike many on here, I've enjoyed the rebuild, and I'm realistic to know that progress is rarely linear; for me, my expectations are still for a full tilt at the premiership 2027.

 

[SLOWNE]

In 2026, all going well, we should be around the same.
Brisbane, Geelong, Gold Coast, GWS, Hawthorn should all be better than us. We are in the next mix.

Hawks regressed with their list losing depth from a very shallow midfield, a lot will rest on Will Day staying healthy. It's also very unlikely that Gunston can replicate this years output.

Geelong are Geelong, bet against them at your peril I guess. Too well ran to drop too much.

Brisbane on paper should be top 4 locks. Their ins/outs seem fairly neutral as they've lost some best 22 players and are replacing them with unknowns (Draper when will he return and at what capacity?). I'd say their 2025 draftee's shouldn't impact, but their last few have so who knows.

GWS, Oliver could be rolled gold or he could combine with Stringer and tear the club apart.

Gold Coast, big additions but quietly lost 3-4 starting 22. Will believe it when I see it I guess.

Do you think we have improved

Our squad
Our coaching dept?

Our squad: Yes, even just by delisting Nicks safety blankets. Ah Chee is good if he gets here.

Out coaches: No. Very disappointed we are rolling with Burns+NVB again. 1 or both needed to be moved on and seeing as our midfield has been pantsed repeatedly I would lean towards NVB.

 

[dogs105]

I can't see where we ever lose a game again