- Nov 7, 2012
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I don't know if it's kosher for me to go so early, but since I can't imagine any of the draftees have a significant impact on the season, I thought I'd invite you all to channel your inner Nostradami and commit to some predictions for the coming season for the entire AFL, in as much or as little detail as you feel right.
I'll start:
2020 ladder post finals
Richmond
Bulldogs
West Coast
Geelong
Collingwood
Brisbane
Hawthorn
St Kilda
GWS
Carlton
North Melbourne
Melbourne
Port Adelaide
GCS
Essendon
Sydney
Adelaide
Fremantle
Individual honours:
Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli
Norm Smith: Dion Prestia
Coleman: Tom J. Lynch
Rising Star: Max King
Sacked coaches:
Worsfold, Hinkley, L Cameron, Clarkson (resigned), Longmire (resigned)
Media darlings:
Damian Hardwick
Tim Kelly
Western Bulldogs
Patrick Cripps
Eddie Betts
St Kilda
Isaac Rankine
Media demons:
John Worsfold
Adelaide Crows
Fremantle Dockers
Christian Petracca
Scott Goodwin
Orazio Fantasia
Big talking points:
Concussion preventative measures:
At Paddy McCartin's mid-season retirement announcement, he will use this opportunity to publicise the association he is involved with, dedicated to helping the victims of concussion in sport to kick on post retirement, and to research preventative measures, which will kick off huge discussions within the media and at AFL house, where they consider bringing in an extended interchange to include concussion substitutes.
Academy Zones:
Many teams query the reasons for the divvying up of the country into NGA Academy areas and the map may get redrawn, with the aid of outside AFL expertise.
Expansion teams:
Team Tassie will hit the AFL media hard next year, and the media will ponder other expansion areas, existing teams ripe for a relocation and so on.
Clarkson's big payday:
GWS make a godfather offer to Alistair Clarkson to replace Leon Cameron at the completion of the finals series, which he accepts, leaving Sam Mitchell as head coach of Hawthorn.
Saints watch:
We will lose 2 of the first 4, but then go on a hot 10 game winning streak, culminating in the absolute annihilation of Port Adelaide in Shanghai, to the point that Kane Cornes gets sacked for accusing the St Kilda camp of having the Port Adelaide's players' food poisoned. The Saints reach finals at the last minute, beating a dire Fremantle to leapfrog GWS into the 8. Sadly our series ends in the first week, getting torched by minor premier Richmond. King and Bytel will play for 12-14 games for the season each, and provide plenty of promise, winning a Rising Star nomination each, Max King ultimately winning the award. Brad Hill and Jack Billings to light up the wings. Hunter Clarke will stake a claim for elite status in the midfield. Jack Billings to finish the year by winning his first Trevor Barker award. Dan Hannebury and Zac Jones to become a lock in the centre, an entirely revamped delivery style into the forward line, Josh Battle to excel as the new key forward, Paddy Ryder to play a handful of games, mostly up front. Josh Battle, Matt Parker, Jade Gresham and Tim Membrey to duke it out for Saints leading goalkicker. St Kilda to win many fans in the media for a well-balanced list featuring a young hungry unheralded and cohesive team albeit one still missing an out and out star in the midfield. Nick Coffield and Dougal Howard to enter the leadership group. Dan Hannebury to take over captaincy from Jarryn Geary. Geary and Roberton to take on part-time coaching roles. Best Saints recruits will be David Rath and Sean Dempster.
Saints ins and outs:
Out:
Ross (traded to GCS/Essendon for a late first round pick), Carlisle (traded to Port/Collingwood for a late second round pick), Austin (delisted), Phillips (delisted), Langlands (delisted), Brown (retired)
In:
Brad Crouch for the Ross pick, Zac Williams for a future first and the Carlisle pick, 4 draftees
Ex-Saint watch:
Josh Bruce will compete for the Coleman and provide an excellent foil for Naughton/Schake, but will ultimately cost his team at some vital moments.
Jack Steven will play well for the first half of the year, but will find himself under the blowtorch and underrated in a way he never was at the Saints and will retire after the finals.
Blake Acres will bed into his wing position really well, but be mercilessly harangued by a bemused Docker crowd used to the speed of Langdon and Hill, and as losses mount may find himself thrown up forward now and then.
Jack Newnes will perform as advertised, (a consistent GOP), his hot 2016 form well behind him, and will be a useful member of Carlton's half back line.
I couldn't bring myself to be the foreboder of doom with any Saints players, hope I didn't jinx anyone! Ah it's just a bit of fun, I'm looking forward to reading this in about 11 months and seeing how wrong I ended up being.
I'll start:
2020 ladder post finals
Richmond
Bulldogs
West Coast
Geelong
Collingwood
Brisbane
Hawthorn
St Kilda
GWS
Carlton
North Melbourne
Melbourne
Port Adelaide
GCS
Essendon
Sydney
Adelaide
Fremantle
Individual honours:
Brownlow: Marcus Bontempelli
Norm Smith: Dion Prestia
Coleman: Tom J. Lynch
Rising Star: Max King
Sacked coaches:
Worsfold, Hinkley, L Cameron, Clarkson (resigned), Longmire (resigned)
Media darlings:
Damian Hardwick
Tim Kelly
Western Bulldogs
Patrick Cripps
Eddie Betts
St Kilda
Isaac Rankine
Media demons:
John Worsfold
Adelaide Crows
Fremantle Dockers
Christian Petracca
Scott Goodwin
Orazio Fantasia
Big talking points:
Concussion preventative measures:
At Paddy McCartin's mid-season retirement announcement, he will use this opportunity to publicise the association he is involved with, dedicated to helping the victims of concussion in sport to kick on post retirement, and to research preventative measures, which will kick off huge discussions within the media and at AFL house, where they consider bringing in an extended interchange to include concussion substitutes.
Academy Zones:
Many teams query the reasons for the divvying up of the country into NGA Academy areas and the map may get redrawn, with the aid of outside AFL expertise.
Expansion teams:
Team Tassie will hit the AFL media hard next year, and the media will ponder other expansion areas, existing teams ripe for a relocation and so on.
Clarkson's big payday:
GWS make a godfather offer to Alistair Clarkson to replace Leon Cameron at the completion of the finals series, which he accepts, leaving Sam Mitchell as head coach of Hawthorn.
Saints watch:
We will lose 2 of the first 4, but then go on a hot 10 game winning streak, culminating in the absolute annihilation of Port Adelaide in Shanghai, to the point that Kane Cornes gets sacked for accusing the St Kilda camp of having the Port Adelaide's players' food poisoned. The Saints reach finals at the last minute, beating a dire Fremantle to leapfrog GWS into the 8. Sadly our series ends in the first week, getting torched by minor premier Richmond. King and Bytel will play for 12-14 games for the season each, and provide plenty of promise, winning a Rising Star nomination each, Max King ultimately winning the award. Brad Hill and Jack Billings to light up the wings. Hunter Clarke will stake a claim for elite status in the midfield. Jack Billings to finish the year by winning his first Trevor Barker award. Dan Hannebury and Zac Jones to become a lock in the centre, an entirely revamped delivery style into the forward line, Josh Battle to excel as the new key forward, Paddy Ryder to play a handful of games, mostly up front. Josh Battle, Matt Parker, Jade Gresham and Tim Membrey to duke it out for Saints leading goalkicker. St Kilda to win many fans in the media for a well-balanced list featuring a young hungry unheralded and cohesive team albeit one still missing an out and out star in the midfield. Nick Coffield and Dougal Howard to enter the leadership group. Dan Hannebury to take over captaincy from Jarryn Geary. Geary and Roberton to take on part-time coaching roles. Best Saints recruits will be David Rath and Sean Dempster.
Saints ins and outs:
Out:
Ross (traded to GCS/Essendon for a late first round pick), Carlisle (traded to Port/Collingwood for a late second round pick), Austin (delisted), Phillips (delisted), Langlands (delisted), Brown (retired)
In:
Brad Crouch for the Ross pick, Zac Williams for a future first and the Carlisle pick, 4 draftees
Ex-Saint watch:
Josh Bruce will compete for the Coleman and provide an excellent foil for Naughton/Schake, but will ultimately cost his team at some vital moments.
Jack Steven will play well for the first half of the year, but will find himself under the blowtorch and underrated in a way he never was at the Saints and will retire after the finals.
Blake Acres will bed into his wing position really well, but be mercilessly harangued by a bemused Docker crowd used to the speed of Langdon and Hill, and as losses mount may find himself thrown up forward now and then.
Jack Newnes will perform as advertised, (a consistent GOP), his hot 2016 form well behind him, and will be a useful member of Carlton's half back line.
I couldn't bring myself to be the foreboder of doom with any Saints players, hope I didn't jinx anyone! Ah it's just a bit of fun, I'm looking forward to reading this in about 11 months and seeing how wrong I ended up being.
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