2026 Ladder Predictions

[Gavin Excell]

Is there actually anyone who doesn’t know it is a top 10?

I think at the time of announcement the CEO was talking up wildcard rubbish when it's just an extension of the 8

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Tbh I'm now a fan of the top 10. More games. More excitement. 8 teams isn't enough when there is 18 teams in the comp.

 

[DQ 4EVER]

Top 10? What do you mean?

That brings back happy childhood memories.
Watching Countdown on Sunday nights, which would end with the top 10, & then we got the Winners at 6pm.
Best 2 hours of TV all week.
Yep, I'm old

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

That brings back happy childhood memories.
Watching Countdown on Sunday nights, which would end with the top 10, & then we got the Winners at 6pm.
Best 2 hours of TV all week.
Yep, I'm old

The winners was one of the best TV shows ever invented.

 

[Viceregal]

That brings back happy childhood memories.
Watching Countdown on Sunday nights, which would end with the top 10, & then we got the Winners at 6pm.
Best 2 hours of TV all week.
Yep, I'm old

I remember a period when we would get to number two (on Countdown) and I was sad because it meant that Fernando was still number one and I was so sick of hearing that song

 

[bungalow_bill]

I remember a period when we would get to number two (on Countdown) and I was sad because it meant that Fernando was still number one and I was so sick of hearing that song

14 weeks at #1 before it was displaced by "Howzat"

 

[Jezzitizle]

Top 10? What do you mean?

Top 10 best Carlton losses of course.

 

[Viceregal]

14 weeks at #1 before it was displaced by "Howzat"

I remember Howzat more happily - then again I liked cricket at the time as well

14 weeks is a loooong time to be at #1

 

[garlic munchers]

That brings back happy childhood memories.
Watching Countdown on Sunday nights, which would end with the top 10, & then we got the Winners at 6pm.
Best 2 hours of TV all week.
Yep, I'm old

Doctor Who, Goodies, Dad's Army, The Winners, F Troop (Jane, oh la la), Saturday WAFL and heavens to betsy, only ABC to watch in country WA.

Good times.... and you would have to be a monkey's uncle to prefer today and these new fangled so called smart TV's with your fox's and your Stan's.

Fancy making a TV and telling your customer up front, you need to be smart to use or otherwise don't bother!

Times have sure changed.

 

[Gavin Excell]

That brings back happy childhood memories.
Watching Countdown on Sunday nights, which would end with the top 10, & then we got the Winners at 6pm.
Best 2 hours of TV all week.
Yep, I'm old

I always thought Chartbusters was more exciting segment of Countdown than the National Top 10

 

[Coach_Required]

1. Brisbane
2. Adelaide
3. Fremantle
4. Gold Coast
5. Hawthorn
6. Sydney
7. Geelong
8. GWS
9. Collingwood
10. St Kilda

11. Western Bulldogs
12. Port Adelaide
13. Carlton
14. North Melbourne
15. Richmond
16. West Coast
17. Essendon
18. Melbourne

 

[bungalow_bill]

I remember Howzat more happily - then again I liked cricket at the time as well

14 weeks is a loooong time to be at #1

ABBA were huge in '76. Following Fernando, Dancing Queen and Money Money Money combined for a further 14 weeks at #1 as well as 2 chart toppers to start the year.

 

[Jezzitizle]

1. Brisbane
2. Adelaide
3. Fremantle
4. Gold Coast
5. Hawthorn
6. Sydney
7. Geelong
8. GWS
9. Collingwood
10. St Kilda

11. Western Bulldogs
12. Port Adelaide
13. Carlton
14. North Melbourne
15. Richmond
16. West Coast
17. Essendon
18. Melbourne

Bevo gets an extension if the dogs nearly make finals right?

 

[juzza316]

1. Gold Coast
2. Sydney
3. Hawthorn
4. Brisbane
5. Geelong
6. Fremantle
7. Stkilda
8. Collingwood
9. Adelaide
10. Western Bulldogs
__________________________

11. GWS
12. Port Adelaide
13. Melbourne
14. North Melbourne
15. Carlton
16. Essendon
17. West Coast
18. Richmond

 

[LeBronco]

Wish they done it in the previous 14 years. Nothing better than play finals and win. Go nepo babies.

Gold Coast is a goldmine for AFL and it's clear to see the Suns have been given way too many concessions meanwhile Western Sydney is the hardest market for AFL in Australia and you don't see the Giants receiving concessions. Not just the academies but the coach as well look at the way Hardwick got to the Suns it was very shady.

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Gold Coast is a goldmine for AFL and it's clear to see the Suns have been given way too many concessions meanwhile Western Sydney is the hardest market for AFL in Australia and you don't see the Giants receiving concessions. Not just the academies but the coach as well look at the way Hardwick got to the Suns it was very shady.

How did he get there? Besides the plane that is.

 

[Jirik13]

Gold Coast is a goldmine for AFL and it's clear to see the Suns have been given way too many concessions meanwhile Western Sydney is the hardest market for AFL in Australia and you don't see the Giants receiving concessions. Not just the academies but the coach as well look at the way Hardwick got to the Suns it was very shady.

I thought Suns are money pit where never ending waste of money goes. (Not that AFL spends much less money on GWS).

'goldmine for AFL' is first time I heard of. Funny.

You should first check and compare how GC and GWS were set up before saying Giants not receiving concessions. There is nice pdf about it. Easy to find out. Basically, GWS had double concessions in every aspect of initial set up. I did not see GWS spending 8 years in metal sheds either. Who was the first coach of GWS vs GC?

Current Suns academy only improved with more money put into it 6 years ago as a result of permanent bottom ladder predicament while GWS was and is contender.

Rest easy, if GWS goes to bottom (does not look like) you would be getting more concessions.

 

[Jezzitizle]

Gold Coast is a goldmine for AFL and it's clear to see the Suns have been given way too many concessions meanwhile Western Sydney is the hardest market for AFL in Australia and you don't see the Giants receiving concessions. Not just the academies but the coach as well look at the way Hardwick got to the Suns it was very shady.

I thought Suns are money pit where never ending waste of money goes. (Not that AFL spends much less money on GWS).

'goldmine for AFL' is first time I heard of. Funny.

You should first check and compare how GC and GWS were set up before saying Giants not receiving concessions. There is nice pdf about it. Easy to find out. Basically, GWS had double concessions in every aspect of initial set up. I did not see GWS spending 8 years in metal sheds either. Who was the first coach of GWS vs GC?

Current Suns academy only improved with more money put into it 6 years ago as a result of permanent bottom ladder predicament while GWS was and is contender.

Rest easy, if GWS goes to bottom (does not look like) you would be getting more concessions.

Nepos arguing about who is more nepo?

Don’t worry, the afl loves all four of its northern state nepo babies equally, you are all daddies favourite.

 

[garlic munchers]

Nepos arguing about who is more nepo?

Don’t worry, the afl loves all four of its northern state nepo babies equally, you are all daddies favourite.

Don’t worry, see how well it worked for that other least loved bastard child John Snow, so you should be all good eventually.

 

[Choppers]

I remember a period when we would get to number two (on Countdown) and I was sad because it meant that Fernando was still number one and I was so sick of hearing that song

And I can remember riding my bike to my mates place in Coorparoo to listen to the Olympics from Melbourne because we didn't have TV in Qld at that time.

 

[Orange crush]

Don’t worry, see how well it worked for that other least loved bastard child John Snow, so you should be all good eventually.

North remember

 

[Choppers]

Gold Coast is a goldmine for AFL and it's clear to see the Suns have been given way too many concessions meanwhile Western Sydney is the hardest market for AFL in Australia and you don't see the Giants receiving concessions. Not just the academies but the coach as well look at the way Hardwick got to the Suns it was very shady.

Obviously you haven't read this or chose to ignore it............




The Greater Western Sydney (GWS) Giants received significantly more generous concessions than the Gold Coast Suns, including
the crucial ability to participate in a mini-draft and more extensive salary cap and list size advantages.

Key concessions GWS received that the Suns did not:

• Mini-Draft: The most significant difference was GWS's right to access a "mini-draft" in 2011 and 2012, which allowed them to pre-sign four prized 17-year-old players (including future stars like Jesse Hogan and Jaeger O'Meara) from other clubs' zones. They then traded these players for an additional seven first-round draft picks, significantly boosting their draft capital, an option not available to the Suns.
• Increased Salary Cap: The Giants were given larger salary cap concessions that lasted for a longer period (up to seven years), while the Suns' concessions ended after four years. The total difference amounted to approximately $3 million in extra cap space for GWS.
• Larger List Sizes: GWS was permitted to have a larger playing list for several years (up to eight extra spots in some seasons), which allowed for greater player development and depth.
• Extended Access to Uncontracted Players/Zones: GWS had two years of access to uncontracted players and the Northern Territory recruitment zone, compared to only one year for the Suns.
  

The AFL determined GWS needed greater assistance because it was based in a more challenging, less established Australian rules football market (Western Sydney) compared to the Gold Coast.

 

[Jirik13]

Nepos arguing about who is more nepo?

Don’t worry, the afl loves all four of its northern state nepo babies equally, you are all daddies favourite.

Some nepo babies are misguided.

 

[ItsAllAboutMe]

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

Is going to be a very lean year for the Vic sides...

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

I only see 3 clubs that could possibly toppllr Brisbane if everything went well for them. And that means going to the next level.

Hawthorn
Fremantle
Gold Coast

Realistically I don't see it happening this season. I think the Lions have at least one more premiership in them yet. Maybe two. Bur the three listed are those I feel will rise and be challenging for years to come.