Toast What are you looking forward to in season 2026?

[Obeanie1]

Time for a thread with a bit more of a positive outlook.

So what are you looking forward to in season 2026?

A couple of seasons ago I predicted 2026 is when we start to see signs of growth and improvement. Feel we improved last season in competitiveness and running out games. It did not equate into wins. We did push good teams into beating us in the final quarter, not the game being over by quarter time.

Things Im looking forward to seeeing.

1. Better structured and quality backline. We have the cattle to hold the backline together and develop into a winning back half. Duggan and Cole being pushed out by the next generation. Farrow and Yeo added to the mix.
2. Waterman and Shanahan working together. More from Newton and Champion.
3. Harley starting the season fit, took him half a season to get going.
4. Flynn building on his 2025 games played and staying fit. Plenty of distractors but he is our best ruck when fully fit.
5. Watching Duursma develop.

Thats a decent start anyway.

So what are you looking forward to in 2026.

PS Lets not go with negativity here, too much of that going around lately.

 

[Patron]

Hopefully watching some of the kids develop and watch them be exciting, impress and improve.

Really want to see Duursma, Allan, Shanahan and Gross look good.

 

[Lazzas]

Hewett - first real crack at a pre season.

More depth in the guts with some more mature guys to support Harley.

Second year with the game plan.

A couple more high picks (Hopefully 3) new talent.

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

Tom Gross proving Mini wrong and ripping it up in the midfield at AFL level.
50 goals from Jobe Shanahan.
Charlie Banfield winning the rising star award.

 

[PremiershipNo4]

Probably seeing Bo Allan, injury and illness free, with a full pre season. Virtually a new recruit.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

I think Young and Starc are huge additions down back. Young will be a big surprise packet for many pundits in '26.

I think Jobe should start next season as one of the favourites for the Rising Star, excited to see how he fares with a whole season in the seniors, with Waterman back and taking the best KPD.

Also excited to see Mini work with a coaching staff that feels more 'his'.

 

[stallon]

• Hewett a full preseason
• Harley to kick 2026 off the way his 2025 ended(not the injury)
• McCarthy to be a full time mid, but with more mid craft and more muscle, should transform the way we move the ball even more.
• Dev im keen to see play full time mid for a few games, see if he can make the jump.
• Waterman and Shanahan as a combo, keen to see what Shanahan can do as the #2 KPF.
• Archer to put on some bulk hopefully and start doing a little more rucking? maybe too hopeful here.
• Keen to see Allan get a good run at it, wherever he ends up. I was pretty happy we drafted him.
• Interested to see how we structure the backline especially if McCarthy does stay in the middle, with Starc and Young added. What does that mean for Ginbey? could he be more attacking? or could he play midfield again?
• Gross to get fit enough to play a mid/hff role at AFL level

 

[Bleedblueandgold]

I think Jobe should start next season as one of the favourites for the Rising Star, excited to see how he fares with a whole season in the seniors, with Waterman back and taking the best KPD.

Oh rite, Jobe still eligible for the rising star. Rising star & Coleman double might be on.

 

[TheNewAnchor]

Time for a thread with a bit more of a positive outlook.

So what are you looking forward to in season 2026?

A couple of seasons ago I predicted 2026 is when we start to see signs of growth and improvement. Feel we improved last season in competitiveness and running out games. It did not equate into wins. We did push good teams into beating us in the final quarter, not the game being over by quarter time.

Things Im looking forward to seeeing.

1. Better structured and quality backline. We have the cattle to hold the backline together and develop into a winning back half. Duggan and Cole being pushed out by the next generation. Farrow and Yeo added to the mix.
2. Waterman and Shanahan working together. More from Newton and Champion.
3. Harley starting the season fit, took him half a season to get going.
4. Flynn building on his 2025 games played and staying fit. Plenty of distractors but he is our best ruck when fully fit.
5. Watching Duursma develop.

Thats a decent start anyway.

So what are you looking forward to in 2026.

PS Lets not go with negativity here, too much of that going around lately.

It's bit late calling for a halt to the negativity......let it run its course! When we do bounce, and we will, the worm will turn. If you look at our list changes, a further year's experience under the belts of the kids and our 2025 potential draftees there's a fair bit to lift the spirits of even the most diehard doomsayers.

 

[Astro7]

Pretty much what everyone else is saying on here.
But I feel we finally have enough weapons with new inclusions, to create a balanced team across the lines - to help Mini fully bed his gameplan.

There's a new input of talent and skills and a good balance of seniors, experience and youth.
It promises to improve the Beagles, which in turn helps put pressure on spots.

Expecting to see exponential improvement in a few players, and a surprise smokey, a bolter!
Overall, this could help us get over the line in a few games that we almost sealed last season. That in itself could be a surprise, without wishing to predict win numbers.

 

[Obeanie1]

It's bit late calling for a halt to the negativity......let it run its course! When we do bounce, and we will, the worm will turn. If you look at our list changes, a further year's experience under the belts of the kids and our 2025 potential draftees there's a fair bit to lift the spirits of even the most diehard doomsayers.

Can always have a negativity free thread now and again.

Helps get some clean air through the board.

Always liked the saying "Nothing is as good nor as bad as it seems".

The green shoots started popping up last season IMO, we pushed decent teams in the 4th quarter and werent losing as many games in the 1st quarter.

 

[FKASC]

CDT and Farrow’s development

 

[ziad]

Our highly regarded (BF) kids from 23, 24 drafts do something good consistently. 5-6 wins and 2 or more scalps.

 

[Wooshaaaa]

A functioning midfield.

Takes pressure off the defence. Puts more time in forward half, allows forwards to pressure and not have to sprint back into defensive half to help out. Allow tall forward to have more opportunities to lead up.

 

[SAweagle]

Harley Reid realising this is his team and building steadily round by round before he morphs into an upgraded version of Dusty in 2027

Jobe Shanahan continuing to lead straight at the ball carrier and kicking straight

Tommy Gross & Bo Allan having huge preseasons and establishing themselves as best 18 players

Clay Hall backing himself to keep improving, he can be a real solid foot soldier

Tim Kelly

11

Tim Kelly

Age

31

Ht

184cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

23.6

5star

K

13.5

5star

HB

10.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

4.0

5star

CL

4.9

5star

D

19.9

5star

K

12.3

5star

HB

7.6

4star

M

3.1

3star

T

4.7

5star

CL

3.6

4star

D

21.6

5star

K

10.4

4star

HB

11.2

5star

M

2.8

3star

T

3.8

5star

CL

3.8

5star

either having an attitude reconstruction or playing majority waffle

Snake Waterman winning the coleman

Ginbey & Hough becoming backline generals, nightmare matchups for oppo fowards tall or small

BBBW discovering how to direct the ball into the path of his teammates

Noah Long establishing himself in the 22, how and where is debatable but i believe in him

Harry Edwards AA fullback

Drew McQualter setting premiership winning standards for players in regards to effort and application

 

[KERRPOW]

Cant add anything to what already has been posted.

Perhaps Looking to expand on what food i can drop on the floor, still salvage and devour

 

[Truly Lazuli]

More than one win

 

[EagleEgo]

Sydney - bottom 4 in 2020 - top 8 in 2021
Collingwood - bottom 4 in 2021 - top 8 in 2022
GWS - bottom 4 in 2022 - top 8 in 2023
Hawthorn - bottom 4 in 2023 - top 8 in 2024
Adelaide - bottom 4 in 2024 - top 8 in 2025

With this trend, who will be the 2025 bottom 4 team getting into the top 8 in 2026?

 

[Rowan18]

Sydney - bottom 4 in 2020 - top 8 in 2021
Collingwood - bottom 4 in 2021 - top 8 in 2022
GWS - bottom 4 in 2022 - top 8 in 2023
Hawthorn - bottom 4 in 2023 - top 8 in 2024
Adelaide - bottom 4 in 2024 - top 8 in 2025

With this trend, who will be the 2025 bottom 4 team getting into the top 8 in 2026?

Probably North. It's overdue and their % was 76 last season (so a lot better than the other bottom 4).

If not them, then us. But we won't be top 8, just top 10.

 

[Obeanie1]

So with 9th and 10th now playing finals if that stays then we will be playing finals sooner than we thought.

 

[NeedForTheReids]

Another year of development for SHANAHANDS

 

[squashface]

I'm most looking forward to Opening Round and Wildcard Round, personally.

 

[Farmer Lister]

A competitive WAFL side

 

[Ambrose Burnside]

Harley AA and Club Champion
Yeo AA
Waterman AA
Ginbey AA
Hewett 20+ games
Owies 20+ goals
CDT ends the year as our No. 1 ruckman who also provides a reliable target when we go long and to the right after a kick-in
Archer kicks more goals than behinds

 

[swingdog]

A win in Melbourne. Haven't really had a reason to go to matches for the past 3 years.