Just played around with the ladder predictor for the first time in a while, and I honestly think there is a strong chance (barring a bad injury run) that we finish 9-11 this year with around 9-11 wins. There are some very average sides running around this year in the bottom half of the ladder, and the collapse of Dockers, Richmond and the Pies makes things interesting. For example to finish 10th, we would only need to be above:
Bombers;
Carlton;
Brisbane;
Gold Coast;
Richmond;
Pies;
Port;
Dockers;
Richmond
Given how much easier our draw gets this is entirely possible. None of the above sides look like winning more than 8 games apart from possibly Port.
To get to 11 wins we would only have to knock off (Bombers 2 times, Blues 2 times, Dockers at home, Lions at home, Gold Coast, Dees again & Richmond). Every one of those games is a very strong chance of a win. Even if we drop 2 of these and don't upset anybody else in the other 7 games, 9 wins will still have us finish 10th or 11th this year.
Had we not been robbed in the Hawks game and we were 3-3, I might even have suggested we are a sneaky outside chance for the 8.