Prediction 2021 Early Ladder Predictions

WHO WILL MAKE THE 8

  • Adelaide

    Votes: 7 1.1%
  • Brisbane

    Votes: 344 56.0%
  • Carlton

    Votes: 62 10.1%
  • Collingwood

    Votes: 16 2.6%
  • Essendon

    Votes: 18 2.9%
  • Fremantle

    Votes: 41 6.7%
  • Geelong

    Votes: 256 41.7%
  • Gold Coast

    Votes: 25 4.1%
  • GWS

    Votes: 17 2.8%
  • Hawthorn

    Votes: 43 7.0%
  • Melbourne

    Votes: 35 5.7%
  • North Melbourne

    Votes: 14 2.3%
  • Port Adelaide

    Votes: 295 48.0%
  • Richmond

    Votes: 422 68.7%
  • St Kilda

    Votes: 121 19.7%
  • Sydney

    Votes: 12 2.0%
  • West Coast

    Votes: 147 23.9%
  • Western Bulldogs

    Votes: 107 17.4%

  • Total voters
    614
May 28, 2013
1,562
3,176
AFL Club
Richmond
Other Teams
Man Utd
Minor - Cats
Major - Tigers
Runners up - Lions
Top 4 - Cats, port, tigers & lions
Top8 - Top4 + eagles, saints, dogs & demons
wooden spoon - North or crows
 
May 29, 2016
1,616
2,212
Tasmania
AFL Club
Tasmania
Other Teams
Tasmania Devils
1st Brisbane 19W 3L 143%
I have this strange feeling that Brisbane Lions will go on a long undefeated streak until a few little hiccups at the end of the season, still looking pretty dominate and will make a grand final appearance for the first time since 2004
2nd Richmond 16W 6L 124%
Richmond will be thereabouts, however, instead of clicking at the end of the season, they'll be consistent throughout and will have minimal injuries.
3rd St Kilda 16W 6L 115%
St Kilda has suffered a few niggles in the offseason, however, their depth will help them secure a top 4 position and Max King will have a break out year, potentially leading the Coleman at one stage.
4th Geelong 15W 7L 127%
Geelong is a team of Premierships or Bust, this year they will dominant throughout the first half of the season, however, due to old age and Injuries, they'll relegate to the fourth position and narrowly edge the fast-finishing Western Bulldogs outfit.
5th Western Bulldogs 15W 7L 110%
Western Bulldogs are an inconsistent team and may struggle to string a few wins, however, they'll click and finish the season with a wet sail. Adam Treloar will be a steal for them and their forward line will become elite
6th Collingwood 14W 8L 108%
Collingwood 2021 reminds me of 2006, being constantly under pressure during the offseason. They are a team that has nothing to lose, therefore their younger players will shine and their stars will become elite, however, the forward line will still be an issue, therefore costing them a chance at a top 4 position.
7th Port Adelaide 13W 9L 118%
Port Adelaide threw the kitchen sink on their proclaimed "150 years of Football". The players will be a shadow of themselves and will lose approximately 6 more games, however, this team still looks great on paper and will change the complexity of the top 8 throughout the season.
8th Carlton 12W 10L 97%
This one is a bold call, I believe Carlton has recruited very well in the offseason. however, it is unknown what they can produce. therefore they'll shock a few teams during the first half of the season, before developing an inconsistent pattern that almost cost themselves finals.
9th West Coast 11W 1D 10L 104%
West Coast will drop significantly as they're players are getting old and injuries will occur regularly. West Coast has one of the best list in the comp and I expect them to rise again in 2022 if they add some youth and rejig their gameplan to a certain extent
10th Gold Coast 11W 11L 98%
This one is a non-brainer, Gold Coast has an incredible amount of upcoming talent and is due for a rise on the ladder, what's holding them back is their leaky defence. if they fixed that. They'll be a premiership contender in 2022-2025
11th Fremantle 11W 11L 95%
Fremantle is missing an important part and that's a forward line. Otherwise, I would allocate them in the 8.
12th Sydney 9W 13L 93%
Sydney is on the up as their younger talent are improving as the year goes on, however I don't believe they are within final contention until approximately 2023. Logan McDonald will kick 30+ goals, meanwhile, Tom Papley will make AA
13th GWS 8W 1D 13L 82%
GWS are in no man's land, they've got the talent. But don't know how to execute it
14th Melbourne 8W 14L 97%
Similar to GWS, but their talent is injured.
15th Essendon 6W 16L 78%
Rebuilding side, however, will upset a few teams throughout the season and come close to beating some as well.
16th Hawthorn 5W 17L 72%
Rebuilding and off-field drama
17th Adelaide 4W 18L 74%
Rebuilding.
18th North Melbourne 4W 18L 65%
Rebuilding.
 

Kenny Hunter09

Debutant
May 11, 2010
142
248
AFL Club
Carlton
Geez, the ladder predictor is a hard slog. Got there in the end...my ladder below, with the caveat I get about 60% of tips right during the season...meaning, my predictions today are probably 20% less accurate than that...

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

Love the Drake

Premiership Player
Nov 22, 2013
3,415
9,348
Mornington peninsula
AFL Club
Carlton
1. Port
2. Richmond
3. Brisbane
4. Saints
5. Cats
6. Collingwood
7. Carlton
8. Gold Coast
9. Bulldogs
10. Melbourne
11. West Coast
12. GWS
13. Fremantle
14. Sydney
15. Hawthorn
16. Essendon
17. Adelaide
18. North
 

no. 4

All Australian
Sep 7, 2005
747
539
Melbourne
AFL Club
Carlton
Other Teams
Man Utd, Melb. Victory
1. Geelong: Will be better than last year.
2. Richmond: Still got one or two more seasons left of challenging with this list.
3. Western Bulldogs: Best midfield in the league but still questions on the extent of options at either end of the ground.
4. Brisbane Lions: Lots of their important players are either now in their prime or entering their prime.
5. St Kilda: Added more talent and will be hard to beat. Don't see them as a flag contender though.
6. Port Adelaide: Will see further improvement in the likes of Rozee and Butters but think some of the over 30s will start to decline.
7. Carlton: Added some ready made talent. Lots of players in that 21-24 bracket that should go to the next level.
8. Melbourne: If stars align they could be a top 4 side. On the flip side they could slide. I think they have enough talent all over the ground to play finals.
9. GWS: Still have a great midfield but the list is starting to look thin at either end of the ground.
10. West Coast Eagles: Window closed. A farewell season for Hurn and Kennedy.
11. Fremantle: Plenty of youngsters to be excited about but will be another development year.
12. Collingwood: Limped through most of 2020 and the list is weaker in 2021. Reliance on some players in their twilight is a concern for the short term.
13. Gold Coast Suns: Really hard to judge them. Could make an argument for scraping in the 8. Another season into Rankine, King, Anderson, Rowell and Lukosious should help them become a finals challenger in 2022.
14. Sydney: Have a good group of players that are in that 50-100 game bracket that will form the core of their next rise but too many holes at this stage.
15. Essendon: Are weaker than 2020 due to players leaving so they will drop off for the next season or two.
16. Adelaide Crows: Not a bad list but not great either. Should finish above Hawks and Kangas due to the extent of experience still on their list.
17. Hawthorn: The benefits of topping up has come to an end. Massive reliance on Mitchell and Warpel in midfield to make them competitive. Gunston injury makes their forward line look very undermanned.
18. North Melbourne: They do have a few youngsters that have 20-50 games behind them that will become 200 game players but the extent of delistings over the summer demonstrates that this is a big rebuild.
 

Gold Rozee

Senior List
Aug 20, 2017
189
207
AFL Club
Port Adelaide
  1. Port Adelaide
  2. Brisbane
  3. Richmond
  4. Geelong
  5. St Kilda
  6. West Coast
  7. Carlton
  8. Western Bulldogs
  9. Melbourne
  10. Fremantle
  11. GWS
  12. Gold Coast
  13. Collingwood
  14. Hawthorn
  15. Essendon
  16. Adelaide
  17. Sydney
  18. North Melbourne
 

Bring-Back-Powell

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 27, 2005
5,918
1,139
Seattle
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Seattle Mariners
Geelong - Recruited for a flag. Ultra consistent H&A side that fails in finals. Will win the minor premiership but not the flag.
St Kilda - Look fantastic at the moment with the best fwd line in the league and keeps improving their list. Will lose a prelim.
West Coast - Will win the flag on the back of a week 1 crucial road win against St Kilda. One of the rare sides that has all departments covered.
Richmond - Consistent as ever, will lose a few here and there but time their run beautifully in the second half. Will lose a GF to West Coast.
Hawthorn - Will be my bombshell bolter. Looked good prior to hubbing. If you have a high quality coach anything can happen. Will lose to Port in week 1.
Melbourne - Will finally get it right under Goodwin. Expect Gawn, Petracca and Oliver to have PB seasons which will get this side into finals and beat the Dogs.
Bulldogs - Excellent midfield and have the pieces at either ends. Just don't see them as a top 4 side.
Port - Not quite as good as last year in the H&A. Aside from 2020 they've proven to be inconsistent under Hinkley, but I reckon they'll win one final.

Carlton - Almost there. Can foresee them losing to a bottom side to cost them a place in the 8.
Sydney - If Buddy, Heeney and Papley play most games, I can see them winning 10 or 11 games. Like Hawks, they have a marvelous coach which helps.
Collingwood - They'll be ok this year but appear to lack offense to trouble the great sides/.
GWS - Morale doesn't appear all that high at the moment and they're window may have closed.
Brisbane - Will be my bombshell slider. Will increase their interstate travelling from 3 to 10 games which poses a big question mark.
Fremantle - Not yet, but maybe next year.
North - Will be a minor shock bolter and win a few from round 8.
Essendon - Not expecting much.
GC - Yet to prove they can compete for more than a third of the season.
Adelaide - Half glass full they won 3 out of their last 4. Half glass empty they were a 0-13 side and are the most inexperienced side in the league.
 
Last edited:
Sep 19, 2013
9,693
11,154
AFL Club
Brisbane Lions
Geelong - Recruited for a flag. Ultra consistent H&A side that fails in finals. Will win the minor premiership but not the flag.
St Kilda - Look fantastic at the moment with the best fwd line in the league and keeps improving their list. Will lose a prelim.
West Coast - Will win the flag on the back of a week 1 crucial road win against St Kilda. One of the rare sides that has all departments covered.
Richmond - Consistent as ever, will lose a few here and there but time their run beautifully in the second half. Will lose a GF to West Coast.
Hawthorn - Will be my bombshell bolter. Looked good prior to hubbing. If you have a high quality coach anything can happen. Will lose to Port in week 1.
Melbourne - Will finally get it right under Goodwin. Expect Gawn, Petracca and Oliver to have PB seasons which will get this side into finals and beat the Dogs.
Bulldogs - Excellent midfield and have the pieces at either ends. Just don't see them as a top 4 side.
Port - Not quite as good as last year in the H&A. Aside from 2020 they've proven to be inconsistent under Hinkley, but I reckon they'll win one final.

Carlton - Almost there. Can foresee them losing to a bottom side to cost them a place in the 8.
Sydney - If Buddy, Heeney and Papley play most games, I can see them winning 10 or 11 games. Like Hawks, they have a marvelous coach which helps.
Collingwood - They'll be ok this year but appear to lack offense to trouble the great sides/.
GWS - Morale doesn't appear all that high at the moment and they're window may have closed.
Brisbane - Will be my bombshell slider. Will increase their interstate travelling from 3 to 10 games which poses a big question mark.
Fremantle - Not yet, but maybe next year.
North - Will be a minor shock bolter and win a few from round 8.
Essendon - Not expecting much.
GC - Yet to prove they can compete for more than a third of the season.
Adelaide - Half glass full they won 3 out of their last 4. Half glass empty they were a 0-13 side and are the most inexperienced side in the league.

Did the interstate travel effect Brisbane in 2019 when they finished 2nd after the home and away season?
 

Bring-Back-Powell

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 27, 2005
5,918
1,139
Seattle
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Seattle Mariners
Did the interstate travel effect Brisbane in 2019 when they finished 2nd after the home and away season?
No but that was in 2019.
In 2020 you were extremely poor interstate. So it’s not out of the realms of possibilities that Brisbane will lose more game than winning on the road.

Brisbane could very well play finals but there’s always a bombshell team that misses the finals. For example who would’ve predicted GWS to miss the finals this time last years?

My massive slider is Brisbane. Doesn’t mean it will happen but at least I’m having a crack at a few changes as opposed to the media pundits cutting and pasting last years top 8.
 

WaywardSonSon

Cancelled
Coney Island Warriors - Sweet F.A.
Jun 27, 2020
5,902
10,095
AFL Club
Fremantle
Other Teams
Cool Runnings
Geelong - Recruited for a flag. Ultra consistent H&A side that fails in finals. Will win the minor premiership but not the flag.
St Kilda - Look fantastic at the moment with the best fwd line in the league and keeps improving their list. Will lose a prelim.
West Coast - Will win the flag on the back of a week 1 crucial road win against St Kilda. One of the rare sides that has all departments covered.
Richmond - Consistent as ever, will lose a few here and there but time their run beautifully in the second half. Will lose a GF to West Coast.
Hawthorn - Will be my bombshell bolter. Looked good prior to hubbing. If you have a high quality coach anything can happen. Will lose to Port in week 1.
Melbourne - Will finally get it right under Goodwin. Expect Gawn, Petracca and Oliver to have PB seasons which will get this side into finals and beat the Dogs.
Bulldogs - Excellent midfield and have the pieces at either ends. Just don't see them as a top 4 side.
Port - Not quite as good as last year in the H&A. Aside from 2020 they've proven to be inconsistent under Hinkley, but I reckon they'll win one final.

Carlton - Almost there. Can foresee them losing to a bottom side to cost them a place in the 8.
Sydney - If Buddy, Heeney and Papley play most games, I can see them winning 10 or 11 games. Like Hawks, they have a marvelous coach which helps.
Collingwood - They'll be ok this year but appear to lack offense to trouble the great sides/.
GWS - Morale doesn't appear all that high at the moment and they're window may have closed.
Brisbane - Will be my bombshell slider. Will increase their interstate travelling from 3 to 10 games which poses a big question mark.
Fremantle - Not yet, but maybe next year.
North - Will be a minor shock bolter and win a few from round 8.
Essendon - Not expecting much.
GC - Yet to prove they can compete for more than a third of the season.
Adelaide - Half glass full they won 3 out of their last 4. Half glass empty they were a 0-13 side and are the most inexperienced side in the league.
My goodness...This season prediction might have well have been read straight from one of those liquid containing magic eight ball thingos!
Boy oh boy, wowee!!
 
My goodness...This season prediction might have well have been read straight from one of those liquid containing magic eight ball thingos!
Boy oh boy, wowee!!

I guess you prefer the utterly boring predictions that are pretty much last years ladder with minor changes.
 

RAPPA

Brownlow Medallist
Feb 20, 2008
15,745
31,749
Victoria
AFL Club
Carlton
All I can say is at its optimistic highest, Carlton makes 7th or 8th. With regard to the teams competing for a spot in the 8, realistically they could yet gain miss finals and end up anywhere from 9th to 12th.
 

Bring-Back-Powell

Norm Smith Medallist
Nov 27, 2005
5,918
1,139
Seattle
AFL Club
Melbourne
Other Teams
Seattle Mariners
No, I prefer logic and intelligence...
If every ladder prediction had logic and intelligence the ladder wouldn’t change from one year to the next.

I’ve tipped a bolter in Hawthorn to finish 5th and a slider in Brisbane to finish 13th. Every season there is always a bolter and a slider.
Doesn’t mean it will happen but it’s my prediction.
 
No, I prefer logic and intelligence...
Yes intelligence, didn’t you respond with a meme?

And logic, pretty sure he gave a description for his reason on every club.
 
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