Prediction Round 1, 2026 - Best 23

Blue Red and Gold · Nov 24, 2025

I would have Cumming

Coopers said:
Noone in that list of players is being picked ahead of them.

I would have Cumming and Milera in the same category as Hinge.

Cumming was underwhelming last year for mine.

Coopers · Nov 24, 2025

Blue Red and Gold said:
I would have Cumming

I would have Cumming and Milera in the same category as Hinge.

Cumming was underwhelming last year for mine.

Maybe, if they underperform. If they hold steady they are fine.

Milera was one of our best performed in our two shitty finals. Which is more of an indictment on everyone else, but still, he was good.

1970crow · Nov 24, 2025

jackster83 said:
You can put Tex in the "locks" group too.

Shit, forgot about him. I was using Scorpus 23 to reconcile to my lists and he didn't have Tex in his 23.

1970crow · Nov 24, 2025

Blue Red and Gold said:
No way I would have Cumming and Milera as locks

Nor would I, which makes me realise that I forgot to include Nank in the 'next up' group.

JPetro83 · Dec 1, 2025

Daniel6 said:
B: Laird - Butts - Worrell
HB: Michalanney - Murray - Milera
C: Curtin - Soligo - Draper
HF: Ah Chee - Fogarty - Rachele
FF: ANB - Thrilthorpe - Walker
R: O’brien - Dawson - Rankine

Int: Keane - Taylor - Peatling - Keays - Hinge (thanks crows dude)
SANFL 22

FF:Cotton - T. Murray - Ludlowyke
HF:Marsh - Maley - Cook
C: Sholl - Dowling - Cummings
HB: Edwards - Nankervis - Jones
FB: Ryan - Borlase - Bond
R: McAndrew - Berry - Pedlar

Int: Welsh

I think Pedlar showed enough in the finals to be there Round 1

Daniel6 · Dec 1, 2025

JPetro83 said:
I think Pedlar showed enough in the finals to be there Round 1

I agree, but I didn’t find a direct link to someone who should drop out.

So, who comes out for Pedlar to come in.

Bob Neil · Dec 1, 2025

FF: Rachele - Thilthorpe - Rankine

HF: Keays - Fogarty - Ah Chee

C: Hinge - Dawson - Edwards

FOLL: O’Brien - Curtin - Soligo

HB: Laird - Murray - Milera

FB: Worrell - Keane - Michalanney

INT: Maley - Draper - Peatling - Cumming - Neal-Bullen

I think Tex is a 12-15 game proposition at best and is there for when one of Fogarty or Thilthorpe is injured (and to keep Fogarty honest - he was poor last year). Maley gives us a good contested marking/swingman option that we lack and can be the ruck chop out so we maximise TT up front as #1 target.

Want to see Edwards in the team and I think wing/HB is the spot.

Rankine, Rachele, Dawson and Curtin can swap midfield and up forward to maximise TOG and mix up our forward threats. The other mids Soligo, Draper and Peatling can cycle thru the bench and a wing.

I’m not big on the Max on ball or up forward experiment so I’d like to settle him down back and really see him excel in that role.

Hinge, Keays, Cumming, Laird, Milera and Neal-Bullen keep their spots as the incumbents but would want to see more from them individually and collectively than the last part of last season.

1970crow · Dec 2, 2025

Best 23 is;
Out - Smith, Taylor
In - Rankine, Ah Chee

Pedlar at risk, but that’s us for most of the year.

1970crow · Dec 2, 2025

Daniel6 said:
I agree, but I didn’t find a direct link to someone who should drop out.

So, who comes out for Pedlar to come in.

Taylor. Those to are 23rd and 24th in selection order at present. Smith gone, who was an extra defender, is replaced by the incoming ah Chee. And then when Rankine returns, one of Pedlar or Taylor is in the gun.

LoBu · Dec 3, 2025

End of 2025 team for next year:

FB: Michelanney - Murray - Worrell
HB: Laird - Keane - Milera
C: Ah Chee - Soligo - Curtin
HF: Rachele - Fogarty -Keays
FF: Walker - Thilthorpe - Pedlar
R: O’Brien - Dawson - Rankine

Int: Draper - ANB – Peatling – Cummings - Hinge

SANFL

FB: Ryan - Borlase - Bond
HB: Edwards - Butts – Marsh
C: Cook - Dowling – Nankervis
HF: Sholl - Maley - Jones
FF: Welsh – Ludowyke - Taylor
R: McAndrew – Cotton – Berry
Int: T Murray

Mutineer · Saturday at 1:34 PM

Average age: 24.7 (eighth oldest)
Average games: 72.6 (10th most experienced)
Most games: Taylor Walker (301)
Players with 100-plus games: 11
Players with less than 50 games: 18

Average age: 25.3 (equal third oldest)
Average games: 88.6 (third most experienced)
Most games: Dayne Zorko (304)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 24.9 (sixth oldest)
Average games: 79.3 (fifth most experienced)
Most games: Nick Haynes (234)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 25.6 (oldest)
Average games: 94.7 (most experienced)
Most games: Scott Pendlebury (425)
Players with 100-plus games: 18
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 23.6 (17th oldest)
Average games: 57.7 (17th most experienced)
Most games: Zach Merrett (251)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 25

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 67.2 (13th most experienced)
Most games: Jaeger O'Meara (200)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 25.3 (equal third oldest)
Average games: 89.3 (second most experienced)
Most games: Patrick Dangerfield (360)
Players with 100-plus games: 19
Players with less than 50 games: 21

Average age: 24.1 (equal 14th oldest)
Average games: 63.9 (15th most experienced)
Most games: Touk Miller (214)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 25

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 77 (seventh most experienced)
Most games: Toby Greene (261)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 71.4 (12th most experienced)
Most games: Jack Gunston (283)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 20

Average age: 25.4 (second oldest)
Average games: 79 (sixth most experienced)
Most games: Steven May (251)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 23

Average age: 24.1 (equal 14th oldest)
Average games: 72 (11th most experienced)
Most games: Jack Darling (320)
Players with 100-plus games: 12
Players with less than 50 games: 24

Average age: 24.4 (ninth oldest)
Average games: 64.9 (14th most experienced)
Most games: Ollie Wines (273)
Players with 100-plus games: 12
Players with less than 50 games: 21

Average age: 23.8 (16th oldest)
Average games: 58.7 (16th most experienced)
Most games: Nick Vlastuin (255)
Players with 100-plus games: 9
Players with less than 50 games: 29

Average age: 24.2 (13th oldest)
Average games: 74.4 (eighth most experienced)
Most games: Brad Hill (277)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 25 (fifth oldest)
Average games: 84.9 (fourth most experienced)
Most games: Dane Rampe (272)
Players with 100-plus games: 18
Players with less than 50 games: 20

Average age: 23.5 (18th oldest)
Average games: 54.1 (18th most experienced)
Most games: Jamie Cripps (272)
Players with 100-plus games: 9
Players with less than 50 games: 29

Average age: 24.8 (seventh oldest)
Average games: 73.4 (ninth most experienced)
Most games: Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli (258)
Players with 100-plus games: 11
Players with less than 50 games: 23

		Average age of list at Opening Round, 2026	Ranking at OR, 2025
1	Collingwood	25.6	Oldest
2	Melbourne	25.4	Equal fifth oldest
=3	Brisbane	25.3	Second oldest
=3	Geelong	25.3	Fourth oldest
5	Sydney	25	Equal fifth oldest
6	Carlton	24.9	Eighth oldest
7	Western Bulldogs	24.8	Third oldest
8	Adelaide	24.7	Seventh oldest
9	Port Adelaide	24.4	12th oldest
=10	Fremantle	24.3	11th oldest
=10	Greater Western Sydney	24.3	13th oldest
=10	Hawthorn	24.3	10th oldest
13	St Kilda	24.2	Equal 14th oldest
=14	Gold Coast	24.1	Ninth oldest
=14	North Melbourne	24.1	18th oldest
16	Richmond	23.8	16th oldest
17	Essendon	23.6	Equal 14th oldest
18	West Coast	23.5	17th oldest

		Average number of games played on list, 2026	Ranking at OR, 2025
1	Collingwood	94.7	Most experienced
2	Geelong	89.3	Third most experienced
3	Brisbane	88.6	Second most experienced
4	Sydney	84.9	Fourth most experienced
5	Carlton	79.3	Eighth most experienced
6	Melbourne	79	Sixth most experienced
7	Greater Western Sydney	77	12th most experienced
8	St Kilda	74.4	14th most experienced
9	Western Bulldogs	73.4	Fifth most experienced
10	Adelaide	72.6	13th most experienced
11	North Melbourne	72	16th most experienced
12	Hawthorn	71.4	Seventh most experienced
13	Fremantle	67.2	15th most experienced
14	Port Adelaide	64.9	10th most experienced
15	Gold Coast	63.9	Ninth most experienced
16	Richmond	58.7	18th most experienced
17	Essendon	57.7	11th most experienced
18	West Coast	54.1	17th most experienced

https://www.westernaustralia.com/au/home

Coopers · Wednesday at 2:36 PM

Mutineer said:
Average age: 24.7 (eighth oldest)
Average games: 72.6 (10th most experienced)
Most games: Taylor Walker (301)
Players with 100-plus games: 11
Players with less than 50 games: 18

Average age: 25.3 (equal third oldest)
Average games: 88.6 (third most experienced)
Most games: Dayne Zorko (304)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 24.9 (sixth oldest)
Average games: 79.3 (fifth most experienced)
Most games: Nick Haynes (234)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 25.6 (oldest)
Average games: 94.7 (most experienced)
Most games: Scott Pendlebury (425)
Players with 100-plus games: 18
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 23.6 (17th oldest)
Average games: 57.7 (17th most experienced)
Most games: Zach Merrett (251)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 25

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 67.2 (13th most experienced)
Most games: Jaeger O'Meara (200)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 25.3 (equal third oldest)
Average games: 89.3 (second most experienced)
Most games: Patrick Dangerfield (360)
Players with 100-plus games: 19
Players with less than 50 games: 21

Average age: 24.1 (equal 14th oldest)
Average games: 63.9 (15th most experienced)
Most games: Touk Miller (214)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 25

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 77 (seventh most experienced)
Most games: Toby Greene (261)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 71.4 (12th most experienced)
Most games: Jack Gunston (283)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 20

Average age: 25.4 (second oldest)
Average games: 79 (sixth most experienced)
Most games: Steven May (251)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 23

Average age: 24.1 (equal 14th oldest)
Average games: 72 (11th most experienced)
Most games: Jack Darling (320)
Players with 100-plus games: 12
Players with less than 50 games: 24

Average age: 24.4 (ninth oldest)
Average games: 64.9 (14th most experienced)
Most games: Ollie Wines (273)
Players with 100-plus games: 12
Players with less than 50 games: 21

Average age: 23.8 (16th oldest)
Average games: 58.7 (16th most experienced)
Most games: Nick Vlastuin (255)
Players with 100-plus games: 9
Players with less than 50 games: 29

Average age: 24.2 (13th oldest)
Average games: 74.4 (eighth most experienced)
Most games: Brad Hill (277)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 25 (fifth oldest)
Average games: 84.9 (fourth most experienced)
Most games: Dane Rampe (272)
Players with 100-plus games: 18
Players with less than 50 games: 20

Average age: 23.5 (18th oldest)
Average games: 54.1 (18th most experienced)
Most games: Jamie Cripps (272)
Players with 100-plus games: 9
Players with less than 50 games: 29

Average age: 24.8 (seventh oldest)
Average games: 73.4 (ninth most experienced)
Most games: Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli (258)
Players with 100-plus games: 11
Players with less than 50 games: 23

Average age of list at Opening Round, 2026 Ranking at OR, 2025
1 Collingwood 25.6 Oldest
2 Melbourne 25.4 Equal fifth oldest
=3 Brisbane 25.3 Second oldest
=3 Geelong 25.3 Fourth oldest
5 Sydney 25 Equal fifth oldest
6 Carlton 24.9 Eighth oldest
7 Western Bulldogs 24.8 Third oldest
8 Adelaide 24.7 Seventh oldest
9 Port Adelaide 24.4 12th oldest
=10 Fremantle 24.3 11th oldest
=10 Greater Western Sydney 24.3 13th oldest
=10 Hawthorn 24.3 10th oldest
13 St Kilda 24.2 Equal 14th oldest
=14 Gold Coast 24.1 Ninth oldest
=14 North Melbourne 24.1 18th oldest
16 Richmond 23.8 16th oldest
17 Essendon 23.6 Equal 14th oldest
18 West Coast 23.5 17th oldest

Average number of games played on list, 2026 Ranking at OR, 2025
1 Collingwood 94.7 Most experienced
2 Geelong 89.3 Third most experienced
3 Brisbane 88.6 Second most experienced
4 Sydney 84.9 Fourth most experienced
5 Carlton 79.3 Eighth most experienced
6 Melbourne 79 Sixth most experienced
7 Greater Western Sydney 77 12th most experienced
8 St Kilda 74.4 14th most experienced
9 Western Bulldogs 73.4 Fifth most experienced
10 Adelaide 72.6 13th most experienced
11 North Melbourne 72 16th most experienced
12 Hawthorn 71.4 Seventh most experienced
13 Fremantle 67.2 15th most experienced
14 Port Adelaide 64.9 10th most experienced
15 Gold Coast 63.9 Ninth most experienced
16 Richmond 58.7 18th most experienced
17 Essendon 57.7 11th most experienced
18 West Coast 54.1 17th most experienced

https://www.westernaustralia.com/au/home

Tex on his own would be contributing appx 0.25 years of age above the league appx average of 24 years old.

Replace Tex with a draftee and we're down in that group around 13th oldest still.

Our list, is really not very old, or experienced yet.

WeeBlake · Wednesday at 4:13 PM

Worrell Butts Max
Dawson Keane Milera
Cumming Soligo Ah Chee
ANB Fogarty Keays
Rankine Thilthorpe Rachele

OBrien Peatling Curtin

Laird Berry Pedlar Hinge Marsh

Mid rotations - Dawson, Rankine, Rachele, Berry, Pedlar

Walker is out intentionally, he needs to play a lot less games this year.

I’d also be happy to swap Cumming and Milera for a few weeks and see what the net result is.

AFC979810 · Wednesday at 4:42 PM

Coopers said:
Tex on his own would be contributing appx 0.25 years of age above the league appx average of 24 years old.

Replace Tex with a draftee and we're down in that group around 13th oldest still.

Our list, is really not very old, or experienced yet.

Other teams won't have old players?

Walker is 35, but I would wager 12 of the 18 teams have at least 1 player over the age of 34. Considering a 40+ person list it doesn't skew it much at all.

MrBarry · 2025-12-11T00:03:20+1100

AFC979810 said:
Other teams won't have old players?

Walker is 35, but I would wager 12 of the 18 teams have at least 1 player over the age of 34. Considering a 40+ person list it doesn't skew it much at all.

Regardless, the list is clearly in the window for the next 5 years imo. We only have 3 players in the best team over 30 currently.

AFC979810 · 2025-12-11T07:28:56+1100

1970crow said:
Best 23 is;
Out - Smith, Taylor
In - Rankine, Ah Chee

Pedlar at risk, but that’s us for most of the year.

Agree.

Big preseason from Pedlar. Was seriously injured in his two of his junior years and in his 5 years of AFL footy has only managed to play 10+ games in a season.

I am really doubtful he will ever reach his potential but could be a best 15 player at the club if he is healthy.

Golumless · 2025-12-11T10:36:36+1100

MrBarry said:
Regardless, the list is clearly in the window for the next 5 years imo. We only have 3 players in the best team over 30 currently.

Certainly possible, though it's going to hinge on a Curtin breakout as the main decider. This team needs another guy to raise the ceiling of the group, especially if they're an inside midfielder. Otherwise, it does have a feel that we're one or two elite players short at the moment.

1970crow · 2025-12-11T11:21:08+1100

Golumless said:
Certainly possible, though it's going to hinge on a Curtin breakout as the main decider. This team needs another guy to raise the ceiling of the group, especially if they're an inside midfielder. Otherwise, it does have a feel that we're one or two elite players short at the moment.

I reckon we’re a 5th-10th quality group that had a home and away spike and was predictably found out in finals. Lack of opposition planning and strategising and match day nouse will mean we won’t genuinely compete during the foreseeable future. Getting the extra elite players will change our tier, but it won’t change the terminal flaw.

Mr MysteryGuest · 2025-12-11T18:55:40+1100

1970crow said:
I don't think there'll be much change. I see 4 distinct groups of players that are likely to get a game when injuries or suspension occur.

18 Locks - TT, Fog, ANB, Rachele, Keays, ROB, Dawson, Rankine, Ah Chee, Curtin, Cumming, Laird, Max, Keane, Milera, Peatling, Worrell & Soligo

3 that wouldn't want too many weeks of bad form - Hinge, Murray & Berry

3 originally in the mix for final 2 spots - Draper, Pedlar, Taylor

Next up - Marsh, Edwards, Dowling, Bond

Barring a bad run of injuries, I wouldn't think we'd consider anyone outside of that 28, except McAndrew if ROB goes down.

I think you can put Nankervis and Ryan in group 3 or 4.

Tex would be somewhere between 1 and 2

Mr MysteryGuest · 2025-12-11T19:26:29+1100

Mutineer said:
Average age: 24.7 (eighth oldest)
Average games: 72.6 (10th most experienced)
Most games: Taylor Walker (301)
Players with 100-plus games: 11
Players with less than 50 games: 18

Average age: 25.3 (equal third oldest)
Average games: 88.6 (third most experienced)
Most games: Dayne Zorko (304)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 24.9 (sixth oldest)
Average games: 79.3 (fifth most experienced)
Most games: Nick Haynes (234)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 25.6 (oldest)
Average games: 94.7 (most experienced)
Most games: Scott Pendlebury (425)
Players with 100-plus games: 18
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 23.6 (17th oldest)
Average games: 57.7 (17th most experienced)
Most games: Zach Merrett (251)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 25

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 67.2 (13th most experienced)
Most games: Jaeger O'Meara (200)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 25.3 (equal third oldest)
Average games: 89.3 (second most experienced)
Most games: Patrick Dangerfield (360)
Players with 100-plus games: 19
Players with less than 50 games: 21

Average age: 24.1 (equal 14th oldest)
Average games: 63.9 (15th most experienced)
Most games: Touk Miller (214)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 25

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 77 (seventh most experienced)
Most games: Toby Greene (261)
Players with 100-plus games: 14
Players with less than 50 games: 22

Average age: 24.3 (equal 10th oldest)
Average games: 71.4 (12th most experienced)
Most games: Jack Gunston (283)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 20

Average age: 25.4 (second oldest)
Average games: 79 (sixth most experienced)
Most games: Steven May (251)
Players with 100-plus games: 15
Players with less than 50 games: 23

Average age: 24.1 (equal 14th oldest)
Average games: 72 (11th most experienced)
Most games: Jack Darling (320)
Players with 100-plus games: 12
Players with less than 50 games: 24

Average age: 24.4 (ninth oldest)
Average games: 64.9 (14th most experienced)
Most games: Ollie Wines (273)
Players with 100-plus games: 12
Players with less than 50 games: 21

Average age: 23.8 (16th oldest)
Average games: 58.7 (16th most experienced)
Most games: Nick Vlastuin (255)
Players with 100-plus games: 9
Players with less than 50 games: 29

Average age: 24.2 (13th oldest)
Average games: 74.4 (eighth most experienced)
Most games: Brad Hill (277)
Players with 100-plus games: 13
Players with less than 50 games: 19

Average age: 25 (fifth oldest)
Average games: 84.9 (fourth most experienced)
Most games: Dane Rampe (272)
Players with 100-plus games: 18
Players with less than 50 games: 20

Average age: 23.5 (18th oldest)
Average games: 54.1 (18th most experienced)
Most games: Jamie Cripps (272)
Players with 100-plus games: 9
Players with less than 50 games: 29

Average age: 24.8 (seventh oldest)
Average games: 73.4 (ninth most experienced)
Most games: Adam Treloar and Marcus Bontempelli (258)
Players with 100-plus games: 11
Players with less than 50 games: 23

Average age of list at Opening Round, 2026 Ranking at OR, 2025
1 Collingwood 25.6 Oldest
2 Melbourne 25.4 Equal fifth oldest
=3 Brisbane 25.3 Second oldest
=3 Geelong 25.3 Fourth oldest
5 Sydney 25 Equal fifth oldest
6 Carlton 24.9 Eighth oldest
7 Western Bulldogs 24.8 Third oldest
8 Adelaide 24.7 Seventh oldest
9 Port Adelaide 24.4 12th oldest
=10 Fremantle 24.3 11th oldest
=10 Greater Western Sydney 24.3 13th oldest
=10 Hawthorn 24.3 10th oldest
13 St Kilda 24.2 Equal 14th oldest
=14 Gold Coast 24.1 Ninth oldest
=14 North Melbourne 24.1 18th oldest
16 Richmond 23.8 16th oldest
17 Essendon 23.6 Equal 14th oldest
18 West Coast 23.5 17th oldest

Average number of games played on list, 2026 Ranking at OR, 2025
1 Collingwood 94.7 Most experienced
2 Geelong 89.3 Third most experienced
3 Brisbane 88.6 Second most experienced
4 Sydney 84.9 Fourth most experienced
5 Carlton 79.3 Eighth most experienced
6 Melbourne 79 Sixth most experienced
7 Greater Western Sydney 77 12th most experienced
8 St Kilda 74.4 14th most experienced
9 Western Bulldogs 73.4 Fifth most experienced
10 Adelaide 72.6 13th most experienced
11 North Melbourne 72 16th most experienced
12 Hawthorn 71.4 Seventh most experienced
13 Fremantle 67.2 15th most experienced
14 Port Adelaide 64.9 10th most experienced
15 Gold Coast 63.9 Ninth most experienced
16 Richmond 58.7 18th most experienced
17 Essendon 57.7 11th most experienced
18 West Coast 54.1 17th most experienced

https://www.westernaustralia.com/au/home

Interesting that we are equal 3rd for the least amount of player with 100+ but still have the least amount of player with less than 50 games.

Means we should have a glut of players about enter the prime years

MrBarry · 2025-12-11T22:28:42+1100

Mr MysteryGuest said:
Interesting that we are equal 3rd for the least amount of player with 100+ but still have the least amount of player with less than 50 games.

Means we should have a glut of players about enter the prime years

This stat caught me off guard, as it means we have actually exposed more of our list to games than I originally thought.

MrBarry · 2025-12-11T22:30:18+1100

1970crow said:
I reckon we’re a 5th-10th quality group that had a home and away spike and was predictably found out in finals. Lack of opposition planning and strategising and match day nouse will mean we won’t genuinely compete during the foreseeable future. Getting the extra elite players will change our tier, but it won’t change the terminal flaw.

Whilst I think senior coaching role, leaves a lot to be desired - I still think basically everything that could have gone wrong leading into that finals series essentially did. Losing our 2 best finals players, one of them in awful circumstances, the captain going down with an injury and then a virus running through the whole team didn't help. The fact that Thilthorpe was nearly a late out for Collingwood says a lot of how bad it was.

1970crow · 2025-12-12T07:25:42+1100

MrBarry said:
Whilst I think senior coaching role, leaves a lot to be desired - I still think basically everything that could have gone wrong leading into that finals series essentially did. Losing our 2 best finals players, one of them in awful circumstances, the captain going down with an injury and then a virus running through the whole team didn't help. The fact that Thilthorpe was nearly a late out for Collingwood says a lot of how bad it was.

We’ve always got our excuses ready to deploy.

Golumless · 2025-12-12T12:01:32+1100

1970crow said:
I reckon we’re a 5th-10th quality group that had a home and away spike and was predictably found out in finals. Lack of opposition planning and strategising and match day nouse will mean we won’t genuinely compete during the foreseeable future. Getting the extra elite players will change our tier, but it won’t change the terminal flaw.

Calling either terminal flaws vastly oversells the impact of either, and goes against the last 25 years of game development (in which any lasting change has pushed to make the game more predictable/rigid). Especially game day management, as it is effectively just an exercise in managing fatigue/mental loads of your players, not something that can fundamentally alter a game in a positive way with structures/zonal defenses being the dominant mode (we'd have to go to a league where its man-on-man or having genuine zones for that to happen). Focus on defensive structures, running/ball movement patterns, minimising lineup changes/new additions (we are in the most hostile era for a non-standout prospect to be in at the moment and it'll only get worse, as Collingwood/Geelong further pushed the bar for what is viable in this space) etc don't give the space to make many moves (and minimal to anything that hasn't been somewhat trained). After all, these are all things that are designed to streamline on-field decision making. Opposition moves are similar, for most, you can only tweak what you are already doing, not make fundamental change at this point. We did see a push from Collingwood/Geelong to be more flexible (noting they can switch ball movement speeds game-by-game), but I doubt it stick because this sport rewards specialisation (and when it mattered, Brisbane, who only really have one mode, did it easily) and that one can't ignore they're the two oldest sides in the league.

What this sport boils down to is how many elite players and how you utilise them via structure. Obtaining any elite player fundamentally alters the entire landscape for the club in question. Right now, Adelaide's only terminal flaw is its inside midfield group. Look to every genuinely concerning moment throughout the season, and the eventual knock out punches in both finals. A good inside midfield group (Port, Brisbane, Hawks x2, Collingwood) kicked into a gear for a period where they were playing their best football, and completely overpowered our side at the contest. The red flag was on full display in the 1st Port Showdown, where we lost stoppage clearances 42-18. Brisbane was the same, we lost clearances by 12-5 in the last quarter. Hawks early burst in our round 21 match has them 18-7 up in clearances at the end of the 1st quarter. In none of those games we're "playing defensive" by plan, it's just a response to getting smashed on the inside (and us moving more and more towards focusing on defense throughout the middle of the season is in response to this; until Rankine's suspension). The finals don't have such a dominance, but Collingwood has a small burst where Ned Long gets on top of the clearances which puts on three quick goals, Hawks the same from Jai Newcombe. In a game about momentum, those bursts can be back breaking, and in the Hawks case it caused our coaching group to panic and flip magnets around.

Beyond that, it's mainly a case of making ball movement more efficient without losing the defensive strength (after all, football is won by being the meanest sons of bitches out there when it matters), however one can't ignore that this also improves with an elite inside midfielder. After all, most of the game is played on transition and these are the players who occupy the more dangerous central positions (and of course, being better at stoppage clearances helps in this space). Considering Curtin had a month where he flexed how much of a gamechanger he could be, yeah, him living up to his talent is potentially the difference between this team having a long contention window or flaming out early. Of course, an elite half back flanker wouldn't go astray either...

MrBarry said:
This stat caught me off guard, as it means we have actually exposed more of our list to games than I originally thought.

Almost like the club hasn't been ruthless enough at delisting players...

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Prediction Round 1, 2026 - Best 23

Brownlow Medallist

Brownlow Medallist

El Chapo

El Chapo

Norm Smith Medallist

Team Captain

Premiership Player

El Chapo

El Chapo

Premiership Player

Premium Platinum

Brownlow Medallist

Premiership Player

Brownlow Medallist

Norm Smith Medallist

Brownlow Medallist

A bigger deal out west.

El Chapo

Brownlow Medallist

Brownlow Medallist

Norm Smith Medallist

Norm Smith Medallist

El Chapo

A bigger deal out west.

Prediction Round 1, 2026 - Best 23

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