Opinion 2015 Ladder Predictions

[Mad Sainter]

1) Hawthorn
2) Sydney
3) Port
4) Fremantle
5) Gold Coast
6) Geelong
7) Norf
8) Richmond
9) Essendon (maybe)
10) Brisbane
11) Collingwood
12) Adelaide
13) GWS
14) West Coast
15) Bulldogs
16) Carlton
17) Melbourne
18) StKilda

Unfortunatly we will have to suffer.... through the hype of another pick #1!!!

 

[Mad Sainter]

1. Port Adelaide
2. Hawthorn
3. Sydney
4. North
5. Suns
6. Freo
7. Adelaide
8. Brisbane

9. Richmond
10. Geelong
11. West Coast
12. Essendon
13. Collingwood
14. GWS
15. Saints
16. Bulldogs
17. Carlton
18. Melbourne

I think we could even finish a couple of spots higher. Call me optimistic but..

1. With Fisher, Gilbert* (hopefully), Hickey and Geary back that will relieve pressure on Longer, Delaney and a few of the younger players in defence
2. Steven and Armo fully fit and hopefully back to their best
3. Players like Savage, Weller, Newnes getting into the 50 - 100 game mark
4. Continued improvement of Dunstan, Templeton, Billings, Acres, Ross, Saunders, Curren, Webster, Wright and Murdoch etc, forcing a healthy competition for spots

Our list is looking similar to Port Adelaides list 2-3 Years ago.

Indeed we "could" finish higher, but why would we want to? That would slow down the rebuild and give us a decent player instead of the best one at the end of the year?

 

[CursingFijian]

Indeed we "could" finish higher, but why would we want to? That would slow down the rebuild and give us a decent player instead of the best one at the end of the year?

I think thats a dangerous philosophy, somewhat melbournian in my opinion. We should not be afraid to progress up the table and trust our recruiting department to still find the means to improve the list. But if we are going to start challenging by 2017 then improvement now is vital.

 

[BrianSpeaking]

We've had the guts ripped out of our list, young players will get opportunities but we are a way off heading anywhere yet.

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

I think thats a dangerous philosophy, somewhat melbournian in my opinion. We should not be afraid to progress up the table and trust our recruiting department to still find the means to improve the list. But if we are going to start challenging by 2017 then improvement now is vital.

I dont think we will improve much yet. So we will most likely bottom out again.
I agree with your Melbourne reference.
We should try as hard as we can to get off the bottom of the ladder. But if we dont at least we have the number 1 pick to cheer us up.
As of yet there hasnt been any talk of us tanking like the Dees,Blues. So i think the club is still doing the right thing in regards to trying to get a winning culture into our kids.

 

[Persevering Saint]

Indeed we "could" finish higher, but why would we want to? That would slow down the rebuild and give us a decent player instead of the best one at the end of the year?

When did we become the Demons?

 

[Persevering Saint]

Nothing will fast track our rebuild like winning. Winning teaches the kids what they need to know most - simply put, how to win. I might also point out that the best player we've seen this preseason is Jack Newnes: recruited at pick 37 (late round 2) in 2011, when we finished 6th in the home and away season.

We have tons of great kids already competing for spots.

If we have good recruiters - which we do - we can do the final touches to our list from pick 12 almost as easily as we can from a top-3 pick. Let me put it this way. As much as I love Paddy, if we had finished 11th, and had our pick instead of Nakia Cockatoo, Lachie Weller, etc, I wouldn't have been shedding a tear come the 28th of November.

 

[CursingFijian]

Couldn't agree more Persevering Saint. Winning also has the effect of galvanising the membership, boosting crowds, attracting sponsers, attracting free agents, increasing merchandising, attracting volunteers, drawing in top end development resources, and so on. Winning begets winning.

The rebuild is more than just a list issue. Improvement and winning is critical.

 

[CALL ME SNAKE]

Agree totally Perse and Swearing Samoan.
Oooops I mean CursingFijian
How exciting will 2016 be when we start winning a few more games.
Remember how good the 2nd half of 2003 was

 

[Life Of Brian]

Probably bottom 3 in 2015, but no certainties for the spoon. Hopefully we can jag 5 wins (eg. hosting GWS & West Coast and maybe one each over the Demons, Dogs and Blues) and possibly an upset over the Bombers or Freo here.

I agree though, improved competitive results and no blow outs are as important as wins next year.

Still it would be satisfying to finish a few rungs up the ladder too!

 

[ULTIMATE_WARRIOR]

Sydney
Port Adelaide
Fremantle
Hawthorn
North Melbourne
Adelaide
West Coast
Geelong
-------------------------------------
Gold Coast
Richmond
Collingwood
Brisbane Lions
Essendon
Melbourne
Greater Western Sydney
Carlton
St. Kilda
Western Bulldogs



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[lethalsaints]

1. Port
2. Swans
3. Hawks
4. Freo ( out in straight sets again)
5. North
6. Bombers (court pending)
7. Cats
8. Suns
9. Eagles
10. Tigers
11. Lions
12. Crows
13. Gws
14. Pies
15. Blues
16. Saints
17. Dees
18. Dogs

 

[gringo2011]

Indeed we "could" finish higher, but why would we want to? That would slow down the rebuild and give us a decent player instead of the best one at the end of the year?

I'm not sure that 2013 saw the best player go one in the draft ... Kelly, Bontempelli and Lewie Taylor probably ahead of him and Billings no slouch either. Top 6 or so are generally a pretty handy player. I would look at finishing as high as we possibly can which in reality is probably only 15th if absolutely everything went right and a few others fall off a cliff.

 

[CursingFijian]

I'm not sure that 2013 saw the best player go one in the draft ... Kelly, Bontempelli and Lewie Taylor probably ahead of him and Billings no slouch either. Top 6 or so are generally a pretty handy player. I would look at finishing as high as we possibly can which in reality is probably only 15th if absolutely everything went right and a few others fall off a cliff.

IMO the giants took Boyd, on top of Cameron and Patton with the strategy that one of the three would develop as trade currency, given that key forwards are always in demand. The Griffen/Boyd trade was probably exactly what they were looking for, so I am sure they are happy in the main. They probably would have preferred it happened on their terms but ultimately they got what they wanted, and without having to spend millions developing him.

Interestingly chatter on the Dogs forum suggests that Bontempelli is still growing height wise and that he is at risk of losing some of his agility in time, while not quite becoming key position size!

Kelly is a beast, but I think Billings has got some real x-factor, and as his confidence grows I think he could be a mid that develops into that Dal Santo/Steve Johnson type.

Also, I really like the Lewie Taylor/Caleb Daniel type, and I think there is a role that a small ultra strong gut running ball magnet with elite kicking skills can play in the modern era. IMO, the club gambled that Caleb would get through to the rookie draft this year, and missed out.

 

[sverik25]

IMO the giants took Boyd, on top of Cameron and Patton with the strategy that one of the three would develop as trade currency, given that key forwards are always in demand. The Griffen/Boyd trade was probably exactly what they were looking for, so I am sure they are happy in the main. They probably would have preferred it happened on their terms but ultimately they got what they wanted, and without having to spend millions developing him.

Interestingly chatter on the Dogs forum suggests that Bontempelli is still growing height wise and that he is at risk of losing some of his agility in time, while not quite becoming key position size!

Kelly is a beast, but I think Billings has got some real x-factor, and as his confidence grows I think he could be a mid that develops into that Dal Santo/Steve Johnson type.

Also, I really like the Lewie Taylor/Caleb Daniel type, and I think there is a role that a small ultra strong gut running ball magnet with elite kicking skills can play in the modern era. IMO, the club gambled that Caleb would get through to the rookie draft this year, and missed out.

If Bontempelli is still growing though that would take him up to at least 195cm which is enough for a KPP.

 

[gringo2011]

IMO the giants took Boyd, on top of Cameron and Patton with the strategy that one of the three would develop as trade currency, given that key forwards are always in demand. The Griffen/Boyd trade was probably exactly what they were looking for, so I am sure they are happy in the main. They probably would have preferred it happened on their terms but ultimately they got what they wanted, and without having to spend millions developing him.

Interestingly chatter on the Dogs forum suggests that Bontempelli is still growing height wise and that he is at risk of losing some of his agility in time, while not quite becoming key position size!

Kelly is a beast, but I think Billings has got some real x-factor, and as his confidence grows I think he could be a mid that develops into that Dal Santo/Steve Johnson type.

Also, I really like the Lewie Taylor/Caleb Daniel type, and I think there is a role that a small ultra strong gut running ball magnet with elite kicking skills can play in the modern era. IMO, the club gambled that Caleb would get through to the rookie draft this year, and missed out.

I was very keen on Bontempelli in his draft year but at the last minute started to worry his height was so over the top for the way he plays he might end up just another Andreas Everett type who isn't quite agile enough for an on baller and not really having a skill set that suits KPP. Roberton and Gilbert are probably in a similar boat. The knock on him was that he was still growing and apparently has packed on weight and is tearing it up. The worry is his body can't then cope with the additional bulk.

The giants also grabbed Cam Mc Carthy with a high pick so have another KPF too.

 

[Big Mart]

Height doesn't make you a KPP.... It may limit or assist your ability to succeed but being tall or short doesn't determine position

Playing style does

 

[gringo2011]

Height doesn't make you a KPP.... It may limit or assist your ability to succeed but being tall or short doesn't determine position

Playing style does

Funny enough I remember in Milney's first couple of seasons and at the Dons reserves he played as a leading key marking forward. I remember laughing about it with mates that he was like a knee high FF. Some guys can do it all but generally you are right, you can be tall and be great at ground level but have poor marking or timing when the ball is in the air. Young Aaron Sandilands had great hands and ground level ability and could extract the ball like a mid.

 

[mysainters]

Hawthorn
Port Adelaide
Sydney
Geelong
Adelaide
Collingwood
North Melbourne
Gold Coast
Fremantle
West Coast
Richmond
Brisbane
Essendon
St Kilda
Carlton
GWS
Western Bulldogs
Melbourne

 

[Mad Sainter]

I'm not sure that 2013 saw the best player go one in the draft ... Kelly, Bontempelli and Lewie Taylor probably ahead of him and Billings no slouch either. Top 6 or so are generally a pretty handy player. I would look at finishing as high as we possibly can which in reality is probably only 15th if absolutely everything went right and a few others fall off a cliff.

As good as the others have been so far, I've no doubt that Boyd will be the best player (behind Billings of course) to come out of that draft. As well as this, 2013 was an unusually even draft imo, with everything in the top 20 being a very good pick.
2014 is a better example, 3 stand out players and then 2. Beyond those top 3 no one really had a good idea of what the order would be except that one of McCartin and Petracca would go pick one and the other would go next.
This coming draft seems more like the 2014 model with an already dominant standout in Jack Parish and I personally would rather us get games into kids than activate try hard mode and finish 16th, and in the process miss out on someone like Parish. Especially when everyone here knows that it won't be Fisher, or Gilbert, or Ray, or Dempster, or likely even Geary that wins us or even plays in our next premiership, it will be a group made up of our current kids, Webster, White, Wright, Newnes, Billings, Dunstan, Acres etc.
Finally, why shouldn't we play the kids together? They will be our team for the next 15 years, so they need to learn everyone else's gamestyles and quickly! No point shoving scrub Ray on a wing when we could put Newnes there, or the broken Gilbert on a flank when we can put Wright or Webster there.

 

[Barrels]

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

EDIT: realised I'd left the typo in meaning Fremantle wasn't in.

 

[gringo2011]

1. Port
2. Hawks
3. Sydney
4. North
5. Tigers
6. GWS
7. Suns
8. Freo
9. Cats
10. Eagles
11. Lions
12. Crows
13. Dogs
14. Pies
15. Blues
16. Saints
17. Dees
18. Bombers suspensions

 

[Sainttony]

I've done an average across all of the above predictions and we at Saints Big Footy think the ladder will be

1. Port Adelaide
2. Hawthorn
3. Sydney
4. Fremantle
5. North Melb
6. Gold Coast
7. Geelong
8. Richmond

9. Adelaide
10. West Coast
11. Brisbane
12. Essendon
13. Collingwood
14. GWS
15. Western Bulldogs
16. Carlton
17. Melbourne
18. St.Kilda

 

[joop]

1: Sydney
2: Port Adelaide
3: Hawthorn
4: Gold Coast
5: Fremantle
6: North Melbourne
7: Richmond
8: Adelaide

9: Geelong
10: Collingwood
11: West Coast
12: Brisbane
13: GWS
14: St.Kilda
15: Western Bulldogs
16: Carlton
17: Melbourne
18: Essendon

 

[lethalsaints]

Wow. Im bad
Port have been dissapointing though