Is this the weakest season ever?

[PerthBoy86]

There's no clear stand-out team: first half of the season it seemed to be Melbourne, but they've dropped away quite significantly, and have issues scoring. Maybe it's like 2021 and they'll bounce back but last week had me questioning that. Geelong look the strongest atm but they often don't look threatening to me. Just very well coached. Brisbane look shaky and their defence is weak at times, Freo too defensive/low scoring. Sydney at times also lack scoring power..Pies have been lucky. Carlton showed promise but seem at least a year or two off flag contention. All the top 6 sides have lost to those near the bottom of the ladder. Yes, things are more equal, but this seems like the weakest year I can remember. It seems almost any team can beat any other team, there are few sure bets. It's more who can be the least relatively inconsistent, who's the best coached, conditioned etc.

As a contest I don't mind it, mind you. I still find it hard to see anyone other than Geelong or Melbourne win it, but it feels like any top 8 team could peak in finals and take it.

 

[Falconista]

There's no clear stand-out team: first half of the season it seemed to be Melbourne, but they've dropped away quite significantly, and have issues scoring. Maybe it's like 2021 and they'll bounce back but last week had me questioning that. Geelong look the strongest atm but they often don't look threatening to me. Just very well coached. Brisbane look shaky and their defence is weak at times, Freo too defensive/low scoring. Sydney at times also lack scoring power..Pies have been lucky. Carlton showed promise but seem at least a year or two off flag contention. All the top 6 sides have lost to those near the bottom of the ladder. Yes, things are more equal, but this seems like the weakest year I can remember. It seems almost any team can beat any other team, there are few sure bets. It's more who can be the least relatively inconsistent, who's the best coached, conditioned etc.

As a contest I don't mind it, mind you. I still find it hard to see anyone other than Geelong or Melbourne win it, but it feels like any top 8 team could peak in finals and take it.

I agree in part- it's odd not to have a standout team or two by this stage of the season. I'm not sure it's a weak season but a weaker than normal elite end of the ladder. Certainly the quality of footy seems generally up on the past couple of seasons.

 

[La Dispute]

The middle of the ladder is slightly stronger, the top end is weaker.

Also feel teams in the bottom 4 are fairly competitive and can knock off most sides on their day.

The AFL would be loving how even the competition is at the moment.

 

[joeyavalanche]

I’d look at this the total opposite in that the whole competition is stronger and more balanced this year


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[Freomaniac]

I am curious how the top 8 shapes up once the regular season is done.

I'm curious who gets top spot and how many wins they can get.

Cats or demons will get top. Either of them Will get 16-18 wins.

It might be the 1st season in AFL history that a team gets 13 wins and 9 losses and gets 9th.

 

[Angus Young]

It's very exciting amongst the top 10 or 11 teams

after that there is a big drop away

 

[sobrave]

The middle of the ladder is slightly stronger, the top end is weaker.

Also feel teams in the bottom 4 are fairly competitive and can knock off most sides on their day.

Rubbish. Both west coast and north were historically bad teams with a percentage of 50. They've improved slightly now but for the first 15 rounds they were a percentage booster on par with Fitzroy and early GWS.

Essendon were also fairly non competitive until recently.

The reason you need 13 wins to play finals this year is that the bottom teams were so bad, it was an automatic win against them unless you were also a bottom team.

 

[Gavin Excell]

Melbourne's best remains the best in league

 

[MC Extra Dollop]

Can't be judged until after the grand final, perhaps even later.

I'd be willing to bet people were saying the same about the competition last year, after the Dees had an amazing run over the first half of the season, before seemingly hitting the wall and coming back to the pack, before winning their last four H&A games, including erasing a 44 point deficit in about 40 minutes away to Geelong to finish on top of the ladder and then put together practically the perfect finals series.

What if Melbourne does something similar? Or what if Geelong doesn't lose again (making it 17 on the trot)? Or a bit of both: Melbourne and Geelong both finish 18-4 and face off in the grand final?

Right now, I think people are writing Brisbane off because of their underwhelming form since the bye, but they still have plenty of time and they certainly have the talent. Port's considered worse right now than they were last year because of their terrible start, but what if they knock off Melbourne and Geelong in the next two weeks? Sydney, Fremantle and Carlton look like dangerous up and coming sides: what if one or more of them becomes a powerhouse over the next five years?

The Bulldogs have plenty of weapons and it's still hard to count Richmond out if they can get to something approaching full strength.

 

[Billy ray]

Some low teams could easily rocket up the ladder next year. And likewise some top teams could easily tumble.
The fixture and who gets who in the 5 double up games will play a big part in next season

 

[blueiris]

Melbourne's best remains the best in league

Other than the game against Brisbane when has Melbourne been at they’re best in the last 8 weeks?

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Other than the game against Brisbane when has Melbourne been at they’re best in the last 8 weeks?

Not the point of the post, Melbourne's best, however often they produce it, is better than anyone else's.

 

[NetworkNerd]

Melbourne's best remains the best in league

They have a flag now. The hunger is gone

Cats won't lose a game for the rest of the season. I think this is the year for them. Best chance in years

 

[HairyO]

It's very exciting amongst the top 10 or 11 teams

after that there is a big drop away

Id say the drop away happens within the top 8. Then there are 6 or 8 teams which can be very good or very bad from week to week. Then a few teams that are just generally bad.

 

[BigPond101]

If the Pies win the flag it could well be the weakest premiership team in history

 

[RUNVS]

Depends on how you judge "weak". I personally prefer this season over the seasons where we know who is going to be in the Grand Final by the midpoint of the season.

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Flagmantle will win it.

 

[Bunnings]

Geez… how weak are the bottom 4 then?


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[RUNVS]

Geez… how weak are the bottom 4 then?


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The bottom 2 are pretty bad but 15th and 16th are probably above average compared to most 15th and 16th ranked teams.

 

[juss]

The top 5 is separated only by percentage, and 12th is 4 wins behind top spot with 6 games to play.

It is one of the most even seasons I can remember, with no real standout performers.

And for some weird reason, no one wants to finish 8th and every team seems to be doing their best to stuff it up.

 

[Geelong_Sicko]

Melbourne's best remains the best in league

Yep. I have always thought that the defending Premier is always the team to beat for the entirety of the following year. So the Dees are still very much the team to beat.

Geelong are still only one of many challengers for that throne, no matter what the ladder looks like.

 

[blueiris]

Not the point of the post, Melbourne's best, however often they produce it, is better than anyone else's.

I’m pretty sure it’s a massive point on this season not sure Melbourne will just turn it on the Melbourne coach even said himself that they are below par of where they want to be

 

[theyellowsash]

Pretty sure consensus if that the weakest seasons were the seasons Richmond won the flag

 

[God Mode]

Pretty sure consensus if that the weakest seasons were the seasons Richmond won the flag

That's true. It's probably the 4th weakest season ever.

 

[theyellowsash]

That's true. It's probably the 4th weakest season ever.

Don't you mean 14th weakest season? No Richmond flag team in history would beat any team from the current top 8.