2026 Ladder Predictions

[Strapping Young Lad]

North improve in 2026. They will be like 10th or 11th most experienced side now. Its time.

I mean, they’ve got to at some point, but people have been saying this for 3 to 4 years.

In this very thread last year people were claiming that north should be finishing in the 8 to 12 range.

They need a very fit list and a bunch of youngsters to really step up in order for them to leapfrog some sides.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

I mean, they’ve got to at some point, but people have been saying this for 3 to 4 years.

In this very thread last year people were claiming that north should be finishing in the 8 to 12 range.

They need a very fit list and a bunch of youngsters to really step up in order for them to leapfrog some sides.

The teams they need to leapfrog are Essendon, Port, Melbourne. Thats not a big ask. All those three teams got considerably worse in this off season.

I'd be shocked if they finish behind any of those three teams, whilst finishing above Richmond and West Coast again.

Their draw is soft. They are ready to go.

 

[SaintSteele9]

Fremantle really should be challenging this year

And yet I find it hard to take them seriously somehow. Don’t want for much but just seem a good bit off the genuine flag chances imo

 

[THE_GUN]

If North dont improve this year and get to 9/10 wins then clearly its time to get rid of Clarko
They really have to improve now as there is no other reason they shouldnt

 

[Strapping Young Lad]

The teams they need to leapfrog are Essendon, Port, Melbourne. Thats not a big ask. All those three teams got considerably worse in this off season.

I'd be shocked if they finish behind any of those three teams, whilst finishing above Richmond and West Coast again.

Their draw is soft. They are ready to go.

Really?
Essendon were crippled by injuries. They could easily win 8-12 games.

Port still have a very good midfield with JHF and Butters and could very easily do the same.

Melbourne are a watch.

North have had a soft draw for years and years, they’ve barely improved.

 

[Toump Ass]

The teams they need to leapfrog are Essendon, Port, Melbourne. Thats not a big ask. All those three teams got considerably worse in this off season.

I dunno if Melbourne got considerably worse tbh.
Fat Lazy Cocaine Ginger is no loss, didn't even snag a brownlow vote last year and played every game I think.
Petracca 30+, will be a gun at Gold Coast Handouts but he hasn't contributed shit for us in two years.

Most importantly, new coach which should improve us quite a bit.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

Really?
Essendon were crippled by injuries. They could easily win 8-12 games.

Port still have a very good midfield with JHF and Butters and could very easily do the same.

Melbourne are a watch.

North have had a soft draw for years and years, they’ve barely improved.

I expect North to win in that range as well. Essendon are shot to pieces and have realised the kids they pinned their hopes on can't play (Perkins, Hobbs, Tsatas, Cox) and Port have a new coach and zero depth.

North now have players like LDU, Larkey, Zurhaar, Xerri in their prime. Add in a generational freak in Sheezel and young guns Wardlaw, Mckercher, O'Sullivan and Curtis and the ingredients are there. That is a far more impressive list of players than any of the other teams mentioned there.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

I dunno if Melbourne got considerably worse tbh.
Fat Lazy Cocaine Ginger is no loss, didn't even snag a brownlow vote last year and played every game I think.
Petracca 30+, will be a gun at Gold Coast Handouts but he hasn't contributed shit for us in two years.

Most importantly, new coach which should improve us quite a bit.

They got worse. Gawn is 34 in a couple of weeks.

Young kids look promising though.

 

[aussierulesrules]

I dunno if Melbourne got considerably worse tbh.
Fat Lazy Cocaine Ginger is no loss, didn't even snag a brownlow vote last year and played every game I think.
Petracca 30+, will be a gun at Gold Coast Handouts but he hasn't contributed shit for us in two years.

Most importantly, new coach which should improve us quite a bit.

Agree. Steele pretty much cancels out the loss of Oliver, Petracca is a loss, but the addition of Mihocek cancels a lot of that out, while CJ potentially cancels out a lot of the loss of McVee. While Pickett Mk2 could slot straight in, and there’s some serious young talent that could very easily be better for another preseason.

Injuries look to be the big threat though. Especially to the remaining guns. Things could get ugly if you have a bad injury run.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

If North dont improve this year and get to 9/10 wins then clearly its time to get rid of Clarko
They really have to improve now as there is no other reason they shouldnt

I agree, especially with Adam Simpson clearly eyeing off that position.

Its time for Clarko.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

Agree. Steele pretty much cancels out the loss of Oliver, Petracca is a loss, but the addition of Mihocek cancels a lot of that out, while CJ potentially cancels out a lot of the loss of McVee. While Pickett Mk2 could slot straight in, and there’s some serious young talent that could very easily be better for another preseason.

Injuries look to be the big threat though. Especially to the remaining guns. Things could get ugly if you have a bad injury run.

Mihocek cancels out petracca? I must be watching a different game.

Mcvee is a far better player than CJ.

I expect them to be bottom 4. You can't expect another career best year from Jake Melksham either. List is looking super old.

 

[Seattle Mariners]

Mcvee is a far better player than CJ.

McVee was woeful this year.
Don't flatter him too much.

 

[Proper Gander]

McVee was woeful this year.
Don't flatter him too much.

McVee was injured this year. I reckon he’s a good pickup for Freo for 2026 with a good preseason

 

[SparklingAle69]

The teams they need to leapfrog are Essendon, Port, Melbourne. Thats not a big ask. All those three teams got considerably worse in this off season.

I'd be shocked if they finish behind any of those three teams, whilst finishing above Richmond and West Coast again.

Their draw is soft. They are ready to go.

Explain how Port has got considerably worse.

 

[EBERT THE KING]

Explain how Port has got considerably worse.

Havent recruited any quality at all. Brought in Brodie and Durdin and no draftees. Lost their best small forward in terms of numbers. Lost Boak, question marks over Wines. Powell-Pepper unavailable until mid season.

Just dont like the list build at all.

I probably worded it wrong as they dropped off considerably from 2024 to 2025. They probably go from 9 wins to 6/7 in my view.

 

[THE_GUN]

Explain how Port has got considerably worse.

Not sure if they get worse but cant see them making finals and probably a similar year to 2025 where they finished 13th with 9 wins

 

[aussierulesrules]

Mihocek cancels out petracca? I must be watching a different game.

Must be watching a different post, too, because I didn’t say he cancels him out, I said he cancels a lot of what Petracca brought out.

Not in the same way obviously, but as anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock knows, Melbourne’s forward line has been a huge weakness in recent seasons, especially with regards to marking targets, and Mihochek is a very reliable, experienced and consistent marking target and goal kicker.

Only Pickett (40 goals) kicked more for Melbourne than the 36 Brodie kicked this year, so I think it goes without saying that he’s likely to be a significant addition to a part of the ground they’ve been sorely lacking.

As for Petracca, he wasn’t the pre-injury Petracca last season, as evidenced by the fact he only received 46 coaches votes, which is approximately half what he was receiving per year pre-injury.

Mcvee is a far better player than CJ.

A grand total of 0 coaches votes for the year (after receiving 16 the previous season) suggests that he won’t exactly be leaving a chasm back there, in terms of what Melbourne got from him this year.

I expect them to be bottom 4.

A very good chance, but stranger things have happened.

You can't expect another career best year from Jake Melksham either. List is looking super old.

There sure are a lot of old guys there (second oldest list, which is a big concern), so a lot of it will come down to when those old guys fall right away.

They do have some very good young guys coming through though, and Pickett is about to turn 20yo, so could slot straight in.

So if the old guys can hang on for one more year and the young ones step up, they could be a decent team.

If they don’t, and/or they get hit hard by injuries, things could get ugly.

 

[aussierulesrules]

For those who are interested and not aware (as I wasn’t until researching that post a bit) Draftguru now has everyone’s coaches votes and Brownlow votes totals per season (and for their career) on the team lists, which is very handy.