2012 Predictions

[Van Nostrand]

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

NAB Cup - Hawthorn
Premiership - Hawthorn
Brownlow - Jobe Watson
Coleman - Jonathon Brown

 

[stugots]

Voss >> Hird as a player. Voss >> Hird as a 1st year coach.

HAD obvious love of EFC >>> HAD obvious struggle with 'denial'

 

[Tassieboy]

I love how everyone thinks they're an expert on the capabilities of a coach based on the result a team has had in a season or two. Yet they have no idea what goes on between closed doors.

 

[Lord Nicholson]

I love how everyone thinks they're an expert on the capabilities of a coach based on the result a team has had in a season or two. Yet they have no idea what goes on between closed doors.

They're also completely disinterested in the original quality of the teams that a new coach inherits.

But whatever.

 

[Fadge]

1. Collingwood - Need Jolly to stand up and/or Wood to come through with the goods. Could be another surprise packet come through from our ruck stocks. Scary to think that the likes of Pendlebury, Thomas, Cloke, Reid, O'Brien, Shaw, Dawes are still two to three years off their peak. Continual improvement from our mid-range players Wellingham, Beams, Sidebottom et al, more of the same from Ball, Tarrant, etc. and return of N. Brown and the real Didak will see them very, very hard to beat.
2. Hawthorn - Roughead and Stratton back and are the only ones to realistically challenge Collingwood all things being equal.
3. Geelong - Surely have to drop off a tad this year - more about the ageing players that are so important to them (Scarlett, Ottens and Podsiadly primarily) rather than the retirements. Will remain top 4 due to the lack of quality teams coming through.
4. Fremantle - Reckon they have close to the best list in the competition if they can get everyone on the park. Lyon to put a bit more C into them.
5. Carlton - Making up the numbers again though their supporters will continue to be overly bullish until they get knocked out in a Semi-Final or Preliminary. Simply not good enough.
6. North Melbourne - Putting a decent list together but can they translate to wins this year?
7. Sydney - Just because they always find a way to finish in the 8.
8. West Coast - Awesome in 2011 but see that more as an aberration due to the fact they had Cox, Embley, Kerr and Glass all fit and firing for most of the season. Unlikely to happen again but may be compensated by natural improvement from their young guns.
9. Richmond - Not a Ninthmond joke, really believe this is where they are at.
10. Melbourne - Will see improvement in attitude and application under Neeld but it takes longer than twelve months to polish a ****.
11. Gold Coast - This team will rise rapidly, and they have Ablett. Will play finals in 2013.
12. Essendon - Hardest team to predict. Zaharakis and Stanton finish 1, 2 in their B&F - that tells us pretty much where they're at.
13. St. Kilda - Will fall away quickly. Riewoldt a shadow of his former self and Hayes cannot do it on his own.
14. Adelaide - Status Quo.
15. Brisbane - Whilst Brown and Black remain their most important and influential players, this team is going nowhere. They had their day 10 years ago.
16. Western Bulldogs - Looking at their departures leaves a pretty bleak picture for this team.
17. Port Adelaide - Going nowhere and not sure Primus is the answer with this team.
18. Greater Western Sydney - May fluke a game or two in 2012 but surely must finish last. Like Gold Coast though, will rise rapidly in future years.

 

[HurleyTheFuture]

12. Essendon - Hardest team to predict. Zaharakis and Stanton finish 1, 2 in their B&F - that tells us pretty much where they're at.

Yes they are the hardest team to predict but I think we will be better than that but who knows
And the fact that Zaka won probably shows we are low on A-Graders but Watson wouldve won easily if he didnt get injuries

 

[Swiftly]

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

NAB Cup - GWS due to extraordinary rules that disallow them to lose.
Premiership - West Coast after losing qualifying final and winning the prelim in extra time
Brownlow - Lenny Hayes
Coleman - Riewoldt (The good one)

 

[Wernumberone]

Zaharakis and Stanton finish 1, 2 in their B&F - that tells us pretty much where they're at.

How about with most of the team missing significant games due to injuries that 2 of our players that played 23 and 21 games were going to poll highly.

Especially when one of them is a highly talented 21 year old that has now clocked up 50 games and turned a few games off his boot.

You're right, it does say a lot about where we are at.

 

[Wernumberone]

Voss >> Hird as a player. Voss >> Hird as a 1st year coach.

Should start a thread on that. Imagine all the attention it will get you.

 

[BlueDW]

1. Collingwood - Need Jolly to stand up and/or Wood to come through with the goods. Could be another surprise packet come through from our ruck stocks. Scary to think that the likes of Pendlebury, Thomas, Cloke, Reid, O'Brien, Shaw, Dawes are still two to three years off their peak. Continual improvement from our mid-range players Wellingham, Beams, Sidebottom et al, more of the same from Ball, Tarrant, etc. and return of N. Brown and the real Didak will see them very, very hard to beat.
2. Hawthorn - Roughead and Stratton back and are the only ones to realistically challenge Collingwood all things being equal.
3. Geelong - Surely have to drop off a tad this year - more about the ageing players that are so important to them (Scarlett, Ottens and Podsiadly primarily) rather than the retirements. Will remain top 4 due to the lack of quality teams coming through.
4. Fremantle - Reckon they have close to the best list in the competition if they can get everyone on the park. Lyon to put a bit more C into them.
5. Carlton - Making up the numbers again though their supporters will continue to be overly bullish until they get knocked out in a Semi-Final or Preliminary. Simply not good enough.
6. North Melbourne - Putting a decent list together but can they translate to wins this year?
7. Sydney - Just because they always find a way to finish in the 8.
8. West Coast - Awesome in 2011 but see that more as an aberration due to the fact they had Cox, Embley, Kerr and Glass all fit and firing for most of the season. Unlikely to happen again but may be compensated by natural improvement from their young guns.
9. Richmond - Not a Ninthmond joke, really believe this is where they are at.
10. Melbourne - Will see improvement in attitude and application under Neeld but it takes longer than twelve months to polish a ****.
11. Gold Coast - This team will rise rapidly, and they have Ablett. Will play finals in 2013.
12. Essendon - Hardest team to predict. Zaharakis and Stanton finish 1, 2 in their B&F - that tells us pretty much where they're at.
13. St. Kilda - Will fall away quickly. Riewoldt a shadow of his former self and Hayes cannot do it on his own.
14. Adelaide - Status Quo.
15. Brisbane - Whilst Brown and Black remain their most important and influential players, this team is going nowhere. They had their day 10 years ago.
16. Western Bulldogs - Looking at their departures leaves a pretty bleak picture for this team.
17. Port Adelaide - Going nowhere and not sure Primus is the answer with this team.
18. Greater Western Sydney - May fluke a game or two in 2012 but surely must finish last. Like Gold Coast though, will rise rapidly in future years.

Just like Collingwood this year, although that is actually a fact, not a wish/prediction.

Go Blues!

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

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

7-13 will be a lottery IMO.

 

[camiam]

West coast
geelong
collingwood
hawthorn
carlton
richmond
north melbourne (these 3 could finish in any order)
essendon

fremantle
sydney
brisbane
melbourne
adelaide
bulldogs
st kilda
gold coast
port adelaide
gws

premiership: Geelong / dark horse: West coast
brownlow: Watson / dark horse: Cotchin
coleman: Franklin / dark horse: Cloke

 

[mufassa]

How about with most of the team missing significant games due to injuries that 2 of our players that played 23 and 21 games were going to poll highly.

Especially when one of them is a highly talented 21 year old that has now clocked up 50 games and turned a few games off his boot.

You're right, it does say a lot about where we are at.

Everyone has injuries. Stanton finsihing 2nd is a massive concern. Your own supporters boo him and cheer when subbed. A player that under pressure goes to water rated as number 2 in 2011 is a worry.

 

[YGEMJGK]

Calling it now

1. Collingwood
2. Hawks
3. Essendon
4. Carlton
5. Geelong
6. Richmond
7. West Coast
8. Swans
9.Saints

 

[pavilion103]

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

NAB Cup - GWS due to extraordinary rules that disallow them to lose.
Premiership - West Coast after losing qualifying final and winning the prelim in extra time
Brownlow - Lenny Hayes
Coleman - Riewoldt (The good one)

Apparently Collingwood to finish 2nd and 4th?
Don't know why theyd'd bring in a second Collingwood based team for Geelong given our on field and off field success of late.

 

[teknodeejay]

Collingwood and Hawthorn

Geelong Carlton and West Coast

Essendon Fremantle Richmond North Melbourne and Sydney

Then the rest can sort themselves out.

 

[Fasta_123]

Pies
Hawks
Cats
Blues
Dockers
Eagles
Bombers
Swans
Kangaroos
Saints
Demons
Tigers
Lions
Bulldogs
Power
Giants
Suns
Crows

 

[afl genius]

1. Hawks - Such a good list, with Roughhead back in action they will be too good up forward, Buddy to get close to the ton again.

2. Collingwood - Quality outfit, will bounce back from the runners up of 2011 and at times look scarily good (To beat GWS by a record margin)

3. Geelong - Too many quality players to slip to much, but will rest players throughout the year in order to prime them for September, this will cause a few loses. Will be no easy beat

4. Carlton - A real danger team, lightning quick on the MCG and will give many teams headaches, just missing that good full forward.

5. West Coast - Home ground advantage will get them here, a very good side and proving 11' was no fluke.

6. North - To be a big improver, their list oozes class bit of luck with injuries and a few young guns having breakout seasons and this could easily happen.

7. Swans - Always around the mark, thier list ain't much good but Goodes will drag them into September.

8. Fremantle - To switch to an ultra defensive gameplan under the bore Ross Lyon and to do enough to get to 8th, need a good luck with injuries.

9. Essendon - List isn't that good, but at times will look a really good side at times they wont, very similar to 11'

10. Adelaide - Sandersons a gun and will get the Crows off the canvas and winning some games, home ground again the key.

11. Richmond - Actually would love them to make the finals, but just feel they will have a long losing streak somewhere during the year, and they will never recover

12. St Kilda - Got a few classy players still around, just feel their time in the sun is done, they had chances and didnt take them. Not much in the way of good youngsters also hurting.

13. Melbourne - Could honestly be anything next year, but this spot is a safe option, good youngsters that will dominate the comp in a few seasons, not their time yet.

14. Brisbane - Pretty ordinary outfit, got some nice young players and they should still avoid bottom 4

15. Gold Coast - Youngsters better with another season under the belt, but still not ready to really take the competition by storm as they will in a few years.

16. Bulldogs - In complete disarray, losing the main goal kicking will hurt and Hudson as well. Cooney's knee shot and suddenly its a recipe for disaster. Expect them to really struggle in 12'

17. Power - To again really struggle, should avoid the spoon again narrowly, cant see things getting much better from 11'

18. GWS - Cant see to many bright moments for this new club, will get absolutely belted a few times and the records could really be in trouble. Will be lucky to win a game.

Premiers - Cats
Runners up - Hawks
Brownlow - Pendlebury
Coleman - Buddy Franklin (94)

 

[Copernicus]

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

NAB Cup - GWS due to extraordinary rules that disallow them to lose.
Premiership - West Coast after losing qualifying final and winning the prelim in extra time
Brownlow - Lenny Hayes
Coleman - Riewoldt (The good one)

Which Collingwood is which?

 

[Wernumberone]

Everyone has injuries. Stanton finsihing 2nd is a massive concern. Your own supporters boo him and cheer when subbed. A player that under pressure goes to water rated as number 2 in 2011 is a worry.

But some have many more than others.

We lost 2 players with ACL's in round 3 and 3 for the year. How many clubs even lost 1? How many did you lose?

Freo would be the only team, from memory, that had more injuries than us.

Thanks for your massive concern but i would be more concerned with your mob as they have a lot more to worry about than what we do.

 

[mufassa]

But some have many more than others.

We lost 2 players with ACL's in round 3 and 3 for the year. How many clubs even lost 1? How many did you lose?

Freo would be the only team, from memory, that had more injuries than us.

Thanks for your massive concern but i would be more concerned with your mob as they have a lot more to worry about than what we do.

Rate Winderlich and Dempsey. I could name 300 players that are better than these 2.

 

[theboxmike]

Rate Winderlich and Dempsey. I could name 300 players that are better than these 2.

Wow you don't remember these two guys tearing your team apart in round 1?

I certainly do.

 

[Bunk Moreland]

Dang, consensus seems to be we’re gonna go backwards.

I give Hird to Round 12 at the most.

 

[StringyDog]

Wow you don't remember these two guys tearing your team apart in round 1?

I certainly do.

Yep 15 kicks and 4 tackles between them, if that's there good games hate to see their bad ones. Ordinary fringe players they are, if you think they are anything more you are deluded.

 

[JonoNash]

8 will stay the same apart from Fremantle replacing Essendon. Can see Lyon turning Fremantle into a professional side, one that doesn't have the topend talent of St. Kilda but overall, a greater depth of players.

Essendon have about the 10th best midfield in the comp. Overachieved as mediocre as it was in 2011 due to the Hird factor.