Prediction 2026 Expectations

[Boomer93]

We have hit the sweet spot of our list build in my opinion. Pearce, Ryan and Switta (Darcy, Cox and Wagner as well) still in their prime, but our keys in Treacy, Amiss and Jackson all coming in to their prime. Top 4 really is minimum expectations imo barring injury disaster.

We have a lot of natural improvement to come from our young list, but is it enough to cover for the decline of the above mentioned names, im unsure. We really need to grab a flag in the next season or or two.

 

[Cesoir]

Nothing short of a grand final for me. I'm sick of "next year", this is our flag to lose.

 

[King Huskii]

Nothing short of a grand final for me. I'm sick of "next year", this is our flag to lose.

No more accepting mediocrity big fella

 

[DocT]

I am still on team JLo but no-one can dispute that for the last three seasons we have underperformed. Maybe not by much, but we have finished lower than many non-Freo pundits predicted. We have lacked killer instinct/mongrel/whatever you call it. No more excuses for 2026, keep JLo = make a prelim. Even if we only miss by a little we have to own the fact that he is very unlikely to get us to a premiership.

 

[mattis117]

100% this is the year. Reid our Daicos. 2nd year playmaker leading the way.

 

[mike91]

I honestly don't expect top 4 at all. I'd love a prelim like everyone else has mentioned, but I'm realistic to know that's very unlikely.

Ideal - top 6 and a win, then competitive in the second final. I think we can finish as high as 5th, 6th is a possibility.

I also think we're a huge chance of playing in Wilcard Round.

I know people on here will take the above as an insult somehow, but I've been correct for 3 years running.

 

[ignoramus]

I expect us to win every game of the year, right up to and including the big one.

I hope we win at least enough to get us to second week of finals.

 

[theGav56]

Yep,
Although it was really catch up in round 3 as dropping the Swans game was a huge miss. I still expect us to lose against Geelong considering they are coming off an AFL game and we are coming off 5 months of preseason. The AFL just can't seem to not help out Big Vic / Northern teams when given the opportunity.

Two seasons beginning Away against Geelong is so weird that it makes me wonder if we have requested it, or at the very least, not objected to it.

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Would be disappointed in anything but a prelim. Anything less is either catastrophic injuries or a failure on JL as far as I'm concerned with the list profile he's got now.

 

[thistimeforsure]

What I would like to happen

Top 8 in tackles i50 not 14th or whatever we were last year and we will at least have some sort of a sniff come finals time

Bolton to show he was worth the money and picks

Switta and Pearce play 20 games each

If Darcy is as usless as he was last year making a contest down the line don’t wait till the season is on life support before giving Cox a shot just because you gave him a stupid contract

Amiss , Freddy , Noddy ( for various reasons ) to play like they owe us something

Murphy Reid proves he is actually as good as he promises and becomes that talismanic player every great team needs and launches us into the greatest years of Freo footy ever

What I expect to happen

None of this really happens and this era of Freo footy starts to closely resemble Ken Hinkley try hardery Port Adelaide with a coach who can get you to finals but that’s about it and there’s always better teams about in the end

 

[Docker82]

I honestly don't expect top 4 at all. I'd love a prelim like everyone else has mentioned, but I'm realistic to know that's very unlikely.

Ideal - top 6 and a win, then competitive in the second final. I think we can finish as high as 5th, 6th is a possibility.

I also think we're a huge chance of playing in Wilcard Round.

I know people on here will take the above as an insult somehow, but I've been correct for 3 years running.

Realistically all things considered I think you're right.

Still think this is a list being held back by a coach playing his gameplan rather than constructing a gameplan built around the list and modern footy.

We all know deep down making finals will be enough for the club to keep JL even if they're not completely satisfied in the teams performance. Unless he changes (not saying he can't) we'll be stuck in no man's land making finals but never really competing for a flag. I do think our squad is too good to miss the top eight short of a 2011 style run with injuries.

 

[FreoRicci]

Top 4, pushing for top 2.

No more of building expectations.
Came 6th last season with 16-7. No reason to build on that and improve.

 

[ImperialPurple]

I expect them to not be asleep till quarter time.

 

[dockerfemme]

I expect them to not be asleep till quarter time.

Is that what you expect or what you hope?

 

[ImperialPurple]

Is that what you expect or what you hope?

 

[Snuffaluphagus]

Still too soon, RIP legend.

 

[chaosball32]

I am still on team JLo but no-one can dispute that for the last three seasons we have underperformed. Maybe not by much, but we have finished lower than many non-Freo pundits predicted. We have lacked killer instinct/mongrel/whatever you call it. No more excuses for 2026, keep JLo = make a prelim. Even if we only miss by a little we have to own the fact that he is very unlikely to get us to a premiership.

Spot on.

• 2023 - always likely to go backwards with big player turnover but shouldn’t have dropped 10 rungs down the ladder.
• 2024 - should’ve made finals, didn’t.
• 2025 - should’ve won a final, didn’t.

I recall people saying similar things before last season “this is the year” “top 4 and a prelim” “we are primed now” and then when we fell short all the excuses came out about “but 16 wins” and “youngest team in the universe” and yada yada.

General rule of thumb is if a coach doesn’t make a prelim in their first 5 seasons they don’t make one at all, let alone a grand final. JL is in season 7 now with zero prelims and not really gotten close to one so he’s already going to have to defy the rule. If he can’t take this list to a prelim he never will. I don’t care if that’s harsh, he’s had endless backing from the board and the fanbase for years and has under-delivered. I would hate to see him squander the potential of this group.

 

[ImperialPurple]

Still too soon, RIP legend.

It’s not even real

 

[oldgoat]

I honestly don't expect top 4 at all. I'd love a prelim like everyone else has mentioned, but I'm realistic to know that's very unlikely.

Ideal - top 6 and a win, then competitive in the second final. I think we can finish as high as 5th, 6th is a possibility.

I also think we're a huge chance of playing in Wilcard Round.

I know people on here will take the above as an insult somehow, but I've been correct for 3 years running.

insult?
Cheer up mikey.
oh...and no chance of the wildcard BS, its for someone else.

 

[Daddoo]

For the last couple years, I've said consistently that our flag window wasn't open yet. Was I disappointed that we didn't make finals or lost finals we could have won? Sure, but not too disappointed.

This year all that goes out the window.

In 2026, our flag window is now officially open imo and will be for the next 5 years or so. I expect us to consistently play finals for the next few years. We'll have better years than others, but we need to play finals for sure. I don't know if it'll be this year or in 2028 or 2030, but I expect us to win a flag with this list. I think our fiercest competitors over this time will be the Gold Coast Nepo babies and the Brisbane AFL handouts.

A lot has to go right to win a flag. You need to stay healthy, you need to play the teams at the right time, and the ball needs to bounce your way. So, I guess my short term expectations is win a final or two this year. Long term expectations is to play finals every year and win one flag over the next five. I'll assess my overall disappointment/joy in 2031.

No flag by 2031 and I'm going to have a membership card printed off on plastic so I can put it in the microwave and melt it down until it catches fire.

Now, what are my hopes? I hope I'm sitting back sipping bourbon in 2031 watching our fifth flag win in a row with a bunch of good friends. That's not too much to ask, is it?

 

[King Huskii]

For the last couple years, I've said consistently that our flag window wasn't open yet. Was I disappointed that we didn't make finals or lost finals we could have won? Sure, but not too disappointed.

This year all that goes out the window.

In 2026, our flag window is now officially open imo and will be for the next 5 years or so. I expect us to consistently play finals for the next few years. We'll have better years than others, but we need to play finals for sure. I don't know if it'll be this year or in 2028 or 2030, but I expect us to win a flag with this list. I think our fiercest competitors over this time will be the Gold Coast Nepo babies and the Brisbane AFL handouts.

A lot has to go right to win a flag. You need to stay healthy, you need to play the teams at the right time, and the ball needs to bounce your way. So, I guess my short term expectations is win a final or two this year. Long term expectations is to play finals every year and win one flag over the next five. I'll assess my overall disappointment/joy in 2031.

No flag by 2031 and I'm going to have a membership card printed off on plastic so I can put it in the microwave and melt it down until it catches fire.

Now, what are my hopes? I hope I'm sitting back sipping bourbon in 2031 watching our fifth flag win in a row with a bunch of good friends. That's not too much to ask, is it?

Id be happy with 1 flag by 2030.

 

[Kapow!!!]

I sit between a few camps on here and not for a good reason. Looking at the list we've been assembling and how much experience should be in the tall forwards and overall playing unit I've basically had 2026 marked (since 2020-2021) as the year the window is officially open and we should be playing high consequence games of footy (i.e. Prelims, Qualifying Finals that qualify you for those prelims etc.).

I can see why, however, mike91 has us fitting into that 5th-8th mark: high early list turnover around 2021-2023 and absolutely shitting the bed in 2024 and in the elimination final last year have basically put paid to any hopes of having the requisite finals experience to be realistically making that leap this year. Unlike mike91 however I just don't think this is a good sign for an overall flag build. It's the inherent core flakiness and inconsistency that really puts us more in the Port Power mould of pseudo contenders long term rather than the Brisbane Lions/Richmond level of inconsistent records but still actually showing up. We need to be showing signs that we can actually make that jump.

So I'd say 5th-8th is the probable outcome (if we even make finals) but we just need to be winning finals, need to be winning big (possibly finals) games away from home and massively closing the gap between our best and worst performances.

Like it or hate it: The team and JL have made rods for their own backs now and we need to know definitively if the current setup of players and coaches is able to play premiership footy and need to know pretty quickly if leadership/tactical change is needed to achieve it. Everything that comes out of the club will be under the hottest of scrutiny: A natural consequence of the past 3 seasons.

Of course, this is merely a fan expectation. I suspect the club will be happy to back the current setup in as long as finals are being met. With that bar being lowered to go down to 10th now it really makes it easier to meet that particular metric. We'd need to crash and burn pretty badly to make any actual change I think. Unfortunately this means that, in the increasingly likely but still far from certain outcome, if Longmuir isn't the right coach we won't act until it's FAR too late for the current list

 

[dockerfemme]

I sit between a few camps on here and not for a good reason. Looking at the list we've been assembling and how much experience should be in the tall forwards and overall playing unit I've basically had 2026 marked (since 2020-2021) as the year the window is officially open and we should be playing high consequence games of footy (i.e. Prelims, Qualifying Finals that qualify you for those prelims etc.).

I can see why, however, mike91 has us fitting into that 5th-8th mark: high early list turnover around 2021-2023 and absolutely shitting the bed in 2024 and in the elimination final last year have basically put paid to any hopes of having the requisite finals experience to be realistically making that leap this year. Unlike mike91 however I just don't think this is a good sign for an overall flag build. It's the inherent core flakiness and inconsistency that really puts us more in the Port Power mould of pseudo contenders long term rather than the Brisbane Lions/Richmond level of inconsistent records but still actually showing up. We need to be showing signs that we can actually make that jump.

So I'd say 5th-8th is the probable outcome (if we even make finals) but we just need to be winning finals, need to be winning big (possibly finals) games away from home and massively closing the gap between our best and worst performances.

Like it or hate it: The team and JL have made rods for their own backs now and we need to know definitively if the current setup of players and coaches is able to play premiership footy and need to know pretty quickly if leadership/tactical change is needed to achieve it. Everything that comes out of the club will be under the hottest of scrutiny: A natural consequence of the past 3 seasons.

Of course, this is merely a fan expectation. I suspect the club will be happy to back the current setup in as long as finals are being met. With that bar being lowered to go down to 10th now it really makes it easier to meet that particular metric. We'd need to crash and burn pretty badly to make any actual change I think. Unfortunately this means that, in the increasingly likely but still far from certain outcome, if Longmuir isn't the right coach we won't act until it's FAR too late for the current list

You have fairly much described my view.

 

[Jezzitizle]

I sit between a few camps on here and not for a good reason. Looking at the list we've been assembling and how much experience should be in the tall forwards and overall playing unit I've basically had 2026 marked (since 2020-2021) as the year the window is officially open and we should be playing high consequence games of footy (i.e. Prelims, Qualifying Finals that qualify you for those prelims etc.).

I can see why, however, mike91 has us fitting into that 5th-8th mark: high early list turnover around 2021-2023 and absolutely shitting the bed in 2024 and in the elimination final last year have basically put paid to any hopes of having the requisite finals experience to be realistically making that leap this year. Unlike mike91 however I just don't think this is a good sign for an overall flag build. It's the inherent core flakiness and inconsistency that really puts us more in the Port Power mould of pseudo contenders long term rather than the Brisbane Lions/Richmond level of inconsistent records but still actually showing up. We need to be showing signs that we can actually make that jump.

So I'd say 5th-8th is the probable outcome (if we even make finals) but we just need to be winning finals, need to be winning big (possibly finals) games away from home and massively closing the gap between our best and worst performances.

Like it or hate it: The team and JL have made rods for their own backs now and we need to know definitively if the current setup of players and coaches is able to play premiership footy and need to know pretty quickly if leadership/tactical change is needed to achieve it. Everything that comes out of the club will be under the hottest of scrutiny: A natural consequence of the past 3 seasons.

Of course, this is merely a fan expectation. I suspect the club will be happy to back the current setup in as long as finals are being met. With that bar being lowered to go down to 10th now it really makes it easier to meet that particular metric. We'd need to crash and burn pretty badly to make any actual change I think. Unfortunately this means that, in the increasingly likely but still far from certain outcome, if Longmuir isn't the right coach we won't act until it's FAR too late for the current list

Wasn’t too long ago Brisbane were described as chokers.

Our midfield hasn’t been good enough to match the best teams, too much on Serong and Brayshaw. Now it looks like Johnson, Ras, Reid are ready to take the next step. Young staying fit is critical. If the midfield meets expectations then we will be right up there.

KPFs still young too, still plenty of growth there.

Port always were deficient with their KPDs and KPFs, and played a very outside game that got found out in finals.

You could make a strong case our squad needs finals experience to win one, but I don’t agree there is an inherent flakiness, just lack of experience and depth at times in the past.

 

[Rockmelon]

I sit between a few camps on here and not for a good reason. Looking at the list we've been assembling and how much experience should be in the tall forwards and overall playing unit I've basically had 2026 marked (since 2020-2021) as the year the window is officially open and we should be playing high consequence games of footy (i.e. Prelims, Qualifying Finals that qualify you for those prelims etc.).

I can see why, however, mike91 has us fitting into that 5th-8th mark: high early list turnover around 2021-2023 and absolutely shitting the bed in 2024 and in the elimination final last year have basically put paid to any hopes of having the requisite finals experience to be realistically making that leap this year. Unlike mike91 however I just don't think this is a good sign for an overall flag build. It's the inherent core flakiness and inconsistency that really puts us more in the Port Power mould of pseudo contenders long term rather than the Brisbane Lions/Richmond level of inconsistent records but still actually showing up. We need to be showing signs that we can actually make that jump.

So I'd say 5th-8th is the probable outcome (if we even make finals) but we just need to be winning finals, need to be winning big (possibly finals) games away from home and massively closing the gap between our best and worst performances.

Like it or hate it: The team and JL have made rods for their own backs now and we need to know definitively if the current setup of players and coaches is able to play premiership footy and need to know pretty quickly if leadership/tactical change is needed to achieve it. Everything that comes out of the club will be under the hottest of scrutiny: A natural consequence of the past 3 seasons.

Of course, this is merely a fan expectation. I suspect the club will be happy to back the current setup in as long as finals are being met. With that bar being lowered to go down to 10th now it really makes it easier to meet that particular metric. We'd need to crash and burn pretty badly to make any actual change I think. Unfortunately this means that, in the increasingly likely but still far from certain outcome, if Longmuir isn't the right coach we won't act until it's FAR too late for the current list

Richmond fans at the start of 2017 would have said something similar, for memory they had 3 consecutive years of first round exits and people didn't think Hardwick was the man to lead them to promise land. hell, Brisbane had a smiilar story befor they made their first grand final in 23.

However, our record of shitting the bed in big games is what makes me nervous. if we can conquer that then we can make and win a GF