Prediction 2018 Predictions

[Quixote]

This thread is amusing.

Why is that?

 

[JimmyMann]

Wins: 13
Ladder finish: 8th
Finals result: Win EF Lose SF

Best and Fairest: Jack Steele
Leading goalkicker: Tim Membrey
Most possessions: Seb Ross

Big improvers: Jack Steele, Paddy McCartin, Josh Battle
No longer first choice (by the end of the year): David Armitage (sad but just plagued by too many injuries of late), Koby Stevens, Shane Savage
Gone after 2018: Sam Gilbert, Jack Lonie, Darren Minchington, Tom Hickey

 

[MUFKilda]

Most of you going for a finals place, so here's hoping. Looks like around seventh place finish is the general mood, which would be good. Interesting to note nobody saying they fear a really poor season down towards the bottom of the ladder, which is encouraging.

I don't have the required knowledge to make a prediction, but I'm hoping you guys are right. If not, I'll be looking for some answers. Don't be getting my hopes up for nothing.

 

[Sainter88]

My prediction is that fat f*ck comes down my chimney tonight and delivers that beautiful premiership cup 9 odd months early.

 

[Gangnam Saint]

Steele to have a break out season.
JB for AA.

 

[Phoenix_9]

Wins: 13
Ladder finish: 7th
Finals result: Win elimination final, lose semi final.

Best and Fairest: Jack Steven
Leading goalkicker: Tim Membrey
Most possessions: Seb Ross

Big improvers: Jade Gresham, Jack Steele, Billy Longer, Blake Acres, Brandon White
No longer first choice (by the end of the year): Shane Savage, Maverick Weller, Nathan Brown
Gone after 2018: Wright, Minchington, Pierce

 

[SufferingS8INT]

Wins: 14
Ladder pos: 6th
Elimination final knockout.

BF: Seb Ross (only going to get better!)
Leading GK: Paddy McCartin
Most Possessions: Seb Ross

Big improvers: think the whole list will take a massive leap but top 3 Acres, Dunstan, McCartin

No longer 1st Choice: Weller, brown, Gilbert, armo

Gone after 2018: Minchinton, Pierce, Wright, (hopefully Lonie)

 

[JG22]

Billings to win at least half a dozen games of his own boot

 

[RWBlyf]

Billings Brownlow

 

[Jade Buddha]

Billings to win at least half a dozen games of his own boot

I hope not that'll mean we are totally dependent on him

 

[JG22]

I hope not that'll mean we are totally dependent on him

Geelong are reliable on Danger

 

[AFLOnline]

Billings for Nobel prize

 

[Spaceship7]

Wins: 13
Ladder finish: 8th
Finals result: Elimination loss

Best and Fairest: Billings (should have been AA this year if he kicked straight) - Carlisle a sneaky chance
Leading goalkicker: Bruce (would have been this year if it wasn't for goal line shanks)
Most possessions: Ross (beast)

Big improvers: Savage (prove the haters wrong), Weller (hard to get worse), Steele (natural progression)
No longer first choice (by the end of the year): Gilbert, Stevens, Brown
Gone after 2018: Wright, Minchington, Pierce, McKenzie

 

[LuckyBounce!]

I am impressed by these predictions and would love nothing more than we make the finals as most of them mention.

The thing is what am I missing when every other person who I talk to or read how they think we will go says that we will fall in 2018 and our list is going nowhere and the list is shot? No elite talent, so decent kids coming through compared to other club such as Carlton, Melbourne or GWS?

Are we all just so one eyed and blind that we don't see the list for what it maybe is or do we have a right to be as bullish as we are and what may happen this year and the years to follow?

 

[mad-saint-guy]

Wins: 12
Ladder finish: 10
Finals result: N/A

Best and Fairest: Billings
Leading goalkicker: Membrey
Most possessions: Steven

Big improvers: Billings, Gresham, Acres
No longer first choice (by the end of the year): Armitage, Gilbert, Brown
Gone after 2018: Wright, Lonie, Minchington, Armitage

 

[SufferingS8INT]

I am impressed by these predictions and would love nothing more than we make the finals as most of them mention.

The thing is what am I missing when every other person who I talk to or read how they think we will go says that we will fall in 2018 and our list is going nowhere and the list is shot? No elite talent, so decent kids coming through compared to other club such as Carlton, Melbourne or GWS?

Are we all just so one eyed and blind that we don't see the list for what it maybe is or do we have a right to be as bullish as we are and what may happen this year and the years to follow?

I think we’re actually the most qualified to comment on the quality of our list as where the only ones who watch every St. kilda game and follow off field progress.

 

[Snailspace13]

I find it very interesting that so many have put Pierce on their outs for 2018.
Yes he has only played 1 AFL game in his Career,but why would we remove him from Main List in 2017,and make him a Rookie,and then delist him 1 season later,when he is not likely to play ahead of Longer and Hickey anyway.
Plus if Longer dominates again,then Hickey will most likely seek a Trade.
Surely our 4th pick would have been Sam Hayes(P47),instead of Ben Paton,with Pierce going this year.

 

[puppy_dog7]

Didn’t know where to post this. But I was looking at the records for the AFL tracker stats and noticed that, we as a club had the record for total distance covered by all players at High speed (18kmph or higher) against Gold Coast.

Not only did we have the record with 51.9km at high speed but we also had the 2nd and 4th most distance covered at high speed. With 8 of our games showing up in the top 25 last year.

To me this indicates why we struggled to keep the intensity up week in week out, and also why our goal kicking conversion was so poor. Because our players were playing at such a frenetic pace.

I think this shows that the effort and hard work is definitely there. But we just need to be better with our decision making and skills and be able to play smarter and not necessarily harder. But this also comes down to our gameplan.

Hopefully we can tweak our gameplan to maximise our hard running. Because if we can I believe we’ll be guaranteed to make finals this year

 

[The Punter]

Didn’t know where to post this. But I was looking at the records for the AFL tracker stats and noticed that, we as a club had the record for total distance covered by all players at High speed (18kmph or higher) against Gold Coast.

Not only did we have the record with 51.9km at high speed but we also had the 2nd and 4th most distance covered at high speed. With 8 of our games showing up in the top 25 last year.

To me this indicates why we struggled to keep the intensity up week in week out, and also why our goal kicking conversion was so poor. Because our players were playing at such a frenetic pace.

I think this shows that the effort and hard work is definitely there. But we just need to be better with our decision making and skills and be able to play smarter and not necessarily harder. But this also comes down to our gameplan.

Hopefully we can tweak our gameplan to maximise our hard running. Because if we can I believe we’ll be guaranteed to make finals this year

This is a good point. As the blokes get fitter (and they are leaner this season) they'll be able to play the style for longer and it will have a lower effect on skill execution.

 

[Snake_Baker]

The saints are the one side I struggle to draw a bead on for 2018.

I see most of you folks think bottom end of the 8 or just outside and that is a fair analysis.

I can't put my finger on the tangibles that are going to get them back in to top 4 contention. However, I think it's more that an experience issue.

 

[JG22]

Billings to move down back and be dominant in the back pocket.

 

[gringo2011]

The saints are the one side I struggle to draw a bead on for 2018.

I see most of you folks think bottom end of the 8 or just outside and that is a fair analysis.

I can't put my finger on the tangibles that are going to get them back in to top 4 contention. However, I think it's more that an experience issue.

A lot of positivity is based on what we have coming through. We had a huge clean out from our grand final sides of 2009 and 2010. I think Gilbert would be the only player left that had played in them. Geary, Steven and Armitage were on the list and have come on since but we are pretty unique with our top end being much lighter than most clubs that play finals. What we have got is a huge group of guys that look talented all coming through at once with a tight bond and a similar focus all getting into the 50 to 100 games at once.

Teams like the Carey era Roos and baby Bombers had that, where a whole lot all of a sudden just exploded without too many old boys propping them up. Obviously there is a a fair bit of projection there but despite being one of the youngest lists in the league with least experience we were on the cusp of finals the last 2 years. If we get a little bit of injury luck and the expected on field rise of 4 or 5 kids that look super close we could be anything. Even a GF capable side. We always had 5 or 6 superstar players and a soft bottom 6. These days we have depth and cover for most positions and seem to have worked on building that up.

 

[SufferingS8INT]

A lot of positivity is based on what we have coming through. We had a huge clean out from our grand final sides of 2009 and 2010. I think Gilbert would be the only player left that had played in them. Geary, Steven and Armitage were on the list and have come on since but we are pretty unique with our top end being much lighter than most clubs that play finals. What we have got is a huge group of guys that look talented all coming through at once with a tight bond and a similar focus all getting into the 50 to 100 games at once.

Teams like the Carey era Roos and baby Bombers had that, where a whole lot all of a sudden just exploded without too many old boys propping them up. Obviously there is a a fair bit of projection there but despite being one of the youngest lists in the league with least experience we were on the cusp of finals the last 2 years. If we get a little bit of injury luck and the expected on field rise of 4 or 5 kids that look super close we could be anything. Even a GF capable side. We always had 5 or 6 superstar players and a soft bottom 6. These days we have depth and cover for most positions and seem to have worked on building that up.

This is something that goes unnoticed to the wider public, the even-ness of our list in age and talent, and may even Be the reason outsiders don’t see us as having any real ‘elite’ players as no one player stands out week after week. 2018/19 will be the years this changes as the youngsters of the club look to make the club their own after the Riewoldt and Montagna departure.

Can’t wait for round 1

 

[The Punter]

The evenness is one of the reasons I see a lot of similarity to Geelong 2004.

 

[Mstr Strokesman]

Didn’t know where to post this. But I was looking at the records for the AFL tracker stats and noticed that, we as a club had the record for total distance covered by all players at High speed (18kmph or higher) against Gold Coast.

Not only did we have the record with 51.9km at high speed but we also had the 2nd and 4th most distance covered at high speed. With 8 of our games showing up in the top 25 last year.

To me this indicates why we struggled to keep the intensity up week in week out, and also why our goal kicking conversion was so poor. Because our players were playing at such a frenetic pace.

I think this shows that the effort and hard work is definitely there. But we just need to be better with our decision making and skills and be able to play smarter and not necessarily harder. But this also comes down to our gameplan.

Hopefully we can tweak our gameplan to maximise our hard running. Because if we can I believe we’ll be guaranteed to make finals this year

Nice post .I think it might be a case that the mind is willing but the young body is not up to AFL endurance levels yet .
As such the body is so fatigued when a shot on goal is needed direction is lost with heavy lactic acid build up .