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Ladder Prediction 2026

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1. Brisbane
2. Hawthorn
3. Adelaide
4. Gold Coast
5. Geelong
6. Fremantle
7. Collingwood
8. Western Bulldogs
9. Giants
10. St Kilda
11. Sydney
12. Carlton
13. North
14. Melbourne
15. Port Adelaide
16. Essendon
17. Richmond
18. West Coast
 

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crows dude said:
Geez

I know we had a good run last year with the fixture and injuries. But surely we dont drop from 18 wins to suddenly not making finals. We will be up there again. You will all see.
Click to expand...
Yeah but so will Brisbane, geelong, Gold Coast, hawthorn, Sydney, freo and bulldogs
 
1 Fremantle
2 Geelong
3 Brisbane
4 Western Bulldogs
5 Hawthorn
6 Gold Coast
7 Adelaide
8 Sydney
9 St Kilda
10 GWS
11 Collingwood
12 Port
13 Carlton
14 North
15 Essendon
16 West Coast
17 Melbourne
18 Richmond
 
1. Brisbane
2. Gold Coast
3. Sydney
4. Fremantle
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Hawthorn
7. Geelong
8. St Kilda
9. Giants
10. Collingwood

11. Adelaide
12. Port
13. North
14. Essendon
15. Carlton
16. Melbourne
17. Richmond
18. West Coast

I think Brisbane are a long way ahead of everyone else, Gold Coast are improving but not ready to beat the Lions in a Grand Final.

Sydney, Freo and the Dogs are the next group and two of them will play in the Prelim. All three lists are high quality but it's coaching that could be the difference.

The Hawks and Cats are certainties to make finals but won't make it deep.

From there I think it opens up. There are three spots in the top ten open. Keeping in mind that you could get 10th by winning less than half your games. I feel the Saints might be due to get some real momentum, even with injuries the Giants always find a way to do enough and while the Pies are on the slide they have a reasonable draw and Daicos will get them over the line in few games.

I have us 11th based on our draw but could easily take 8th, 9th or 10th. I don't have a great feeling about this year. If the wins don't come early it can get real hard to get momentum.

Port have an easy draw on paper. They only need a couple of upsets and they can make it. Butters and JHF will get it done against the weaker teams and there will be a bit of a new coach lift at times

North, Essendon, Kangaroos, Melbourne, Richmond and West Coast might have their moments during the year but I don't think they have it in them to win enough.
 
1. Geelong
2. Brisbane
3. Gold Coast
4. Fremantle
5. Adelaide
6. GWS
7. Hawthorn
8. Sydney
---
9. Western Bulldogs
10. Collingwood
11. Melbourne
12. Port Adelaide
13. St.Kilda
14. Carlton
15. Essendon
16. Richmond
17. North Melbourne
18. West Coast.
 
A large part of our 18-5 season last year, we didn't drop a game against a non-finals team, ranked #1.
I would say that probably doesn't happen too often.

We were 5-5 against top 8 teams in the minor round, ranked #5.
5-7 for the season.
 
Last edited:
Doctor B said:
A large part of our 18-5 season last year, we didn't drop a game against a non finals team, ranked #1.
I would say that probably doesn't happen too often.

We were 5-5 against top 8 teams in the minor round, ranked #5.
5-7 for the season.
Click to expand...
One of the better things about the club in the Nicks era I think. The team rarely fails to show up and put in a credible performance, even prior to 2025, and winning every game against weaker teams is a good achievement.

Some improvement against the better sides last year too of course but will have to do better than breaking even to be a serious flag threat.
 

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1. Brisbane
2. Fremantle
3. Gold Coast
4. Bulldogs
5. Hawthorn
6. Sydney
7. Geelong
8. St Kilda
9. Adelaide
10. Collingwood

11. GWS
12. Port
13. Melbourne
14. Carlton
15. West Coast
16. Essendon
17. North
18. Richmond
 
1. Brisbane
2. Geelong
3. Fremantle
4. Bulldogs
5. Gold Coast
6. Adelaide
7. Sydney
8. Geelong
9. GWS
10. Collingwood
11. St Kilda
12. Port Adelaide
13 Carlton
14 North Melbourne
15 Melbourne
16 Essendon
17 West Coast
18 Richmond
 
  1. Gold Coast
  2. Fremantle
  3. Geelong
  4. Brisbane
  5. Adelaide
  6. Hawthorn
  7. Giants
  8. Western Bulldogs
  9. St Kilda
  10. Carlton
  11. Collingwood
  12. Sydney
  13. Melbourne
  14. Essendon
  15. Richmond
  16. Port Adelaide
  17. West Coast
  18. North Melb
As always, nothing scientific about it.
 
Scorpus said:
Last year we managed to cash in on two major factors

Luck: We were +3 wins on xScore. This means we won net three games more than expected had both teams scored at the average level. Essentially, we got lucky and either scored really accurately or the opposition's accuracy was well below average - and this led to lucky wins.

Injuries: We had a very small injury list with most of our best players available for the entire season

Unless we can somehow continue to be lucky in games with no injuries, we're going to find it very hard to maintain our level from last year. I'd say that we are the most primed for a correction in performance, along with GWS
Click to expand...

You’re assuming that goal kicking accuracy is luck and not a skill
 
Mr MysteryGuest said:
You’re assuming that goal kicking accuracy is luck and not a skill
Click to expand...
It would be a skill if it was a repeated trend over time, but it isn't.

We were +2.9 xWins last year but average -0.4 xWins a season over the last 5 seasons. That suggests our overperformance was luck or at the very least a massive outlier
 

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Jon Ralph's ladder predictor...


1. Brisbane
2. Gold Coast
3. Geelong
4. Sydney
5. Adelaide

ADELAIDE​

You can find the stats to suit your narrative.
Adelaide won 18 games but eight of them were under 14 points and four were by single-figure margins.
And yet they also lost by a point against the Suns, three points against Hawthorn and 10 points against Collingwood.
This side was up for the fight all the way until the perplexing straight-sets loss where Izak Rankine’s absence was magnified by a fortnight where most of their stars failed to replicate breakout seasons.
The injuries are the clear worry – a minor hamstring concern for Rankine, Dan Curtin’s knee issue and Mark Keane’s broken ankle.
But Riley Thilthorpe is ready to take the game by storm, Josh Worrell was a 2025 revelation and Jake Soligo should earmark top 3 in the best-and-fairest after ninth last year.
There is enough talent to bank early-season wins until Curtin and Keane return.

6. Fremantle
7. Collingwood
8. Hawthorn
9. GWS
10. Western Bulldogs
11. St Kilda
12. Carlton
13. Essendon
14. Melbourne
15. Port Adelaide

PORT ADELAIDE​

If Jason Horne-Francis, Connor Rozee, Miles Bergman, Zak Butters, Aliir Aliir, Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall all play 20-plus games the Power’s clear depth issues might not be exposed.
But already Horne-Francis is labouring with a foot concern that will at the very least stop him from getting rock hard fit, which Ken Hinkley recently said was his main wish for the potential megastar.
And Georgiades is battling a minor hammy after the State of Origin game in another reminder of how much this forward line relies upon him.
Josh Carr knows his main mission this year is to develop the kids and he has real belief in Jack Whitlock and Joe Berry but there are many players who have shown glimpses but you couldn’t be confident will take the next step.
They include Jase Burgoyne, Lachie Jones and Logan Evans in a side that relies too much on too few.

16. West Coast
17. North Melbourne
18. Richmond

​

 
Mutineer said:
Jon Ralph's ladder predictor...


1. Brisbane
2. Gold Coast
3. Geelong
4. Sydney
5. Adelaide

ADELAIDE​

You can find the stats to suit your narrative.
Adelaide won 18 games but eight of them were under 14 points and four were by single-figure margins.
And yet they also lost by a point against the Suns, three points against Hawthorn and 10 points against Collingwood.
This side was up for the fight all the way until the perplexing straight-sets loss where Izak Rankine’s absence was magnified by a fortnight where most of their stars failed to replicate breakout seasons.
The injuries are the clear worry – a minor hamstring concern for Rankine, Dan Curtin’s knee issue and Mark Keane’s broken ankle.
But Riley Thilthorpe is ready to take the game by storm, Josh Worrell was a 2025 revelation and Jake Soligo should earmark top 3 in the best-and-fairest after ninth last year.
There is enough talent to bank early-season wins until Curtin and Keane return.

6. Fremantle
7. Collingwood
8. Hawthorn
9. GWS
10. Western Bulldogs
11. St Kilda
12. Carlton
13. Essendon
14. Melbourne
15. Port Adelaide

PORT ADELAIDE​

If Jason Horne-Francis, Connor Rozee, Miles Bergman, Zak Butters, Aliir Aliir, Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall all play 20-plus games the Power’s clear depth issues might not be exposed.
But already Horne-Francis is labouring with a foot concern that will at the very least stop him from getting rock hard fit, which Ken Hinkley recently said was his main wish for the potential megastar.
And Georgiades is battling a minor hammy after the State of Origin game in another reminder of how much this forward line relies upon him.
Josh Carr knows his main mission this year is to develop the kids and he has real belief in Jack Whitlock and Joe Berry but there are many players who have shown glimpses but you couldn’t be confident will take the next step.
They include Jase Burgoyne, Lachie Jones and Logan Evans in a side that relies too much on too few.

16. West Coast
17. North Melbourne
18. Richmond

​

Click to expand...
One of the biggest nuffies in the media
 
Mutineer said:
Jon Ralph's ladder predictor...


1. Brisbane
2. Gold Coast
3. Geelong
4. Sydney
5. Adelaide

ADELAIDE​

You can find the stats to suit your narrative.
Adelaide won 18 games but eight of them were under 14 points and four were by single-figure margins.
And yet they also lost by a point against the Suns, three points against Hawthorn and 10 points against Collingwood.
This side was up for the fight all the way until the perplexing straight-sets loss where Izak Rankine’s absence was magnified by a fortnight where most of their stars failed to replicate breakout seasons.
The injuries are the clear worry – a minor hamstring concern for Rankine, Dan Curtin’s knee issue and Mark Keane’s broken ankle.
But Riley Thilthorpe is ready to take the game by storm, Josh Worrell was a 2025 revelation and Jake Soligo should earmark top 3 in the best-and-fairest after ninth last year.
There is enough talent to bank early-season wins until Curtin and Keane return.

6. Fremantle
7. Collingwood
8. Hawthorn
9. GWS
10. Western Bulldogs
11. St Kilda
12. Carlton
13. Essendon
14. Melbourne
15. Port Adelaide

PORT ADELAIDE​

If Jason Horne-Francis, Connor Rozee, Miles Bergman, Zak Butters, Aliir Aliir, Mitch Georgiades and Todd Marshall all play 20-plus games the Power’s clear depth issues might not be exposed.
But already Horne-Francis is labouring with a foot concern that will at the very least stop him from getting rock hard fit, which Ken Hinkley recently said was his main wish for the potential megastar.
And Georgiades is battling a minor hammy after the State of Origin game in another reminder of how much this forward line relies upon him.
Josh Carr knows his main mission this year is to develop the kids and he has real belief in Jack Whitlock and Joe Berry but there are many players who have shown glimpses but you couldn’t be confident will take the next step.
They include Jase Burgoyne, Lachie Jones and Logan Evans in a side that relies too much on too few.

16. West Coast
17. North Melbourne
18. Richmond

​

Click to expand...
Anything less than 6th this year is failed season.... UNLESS we win a final and i dont mean a wildcard game.
 
Punchy Bassett said:
We'll miss finals.
Click to expand...

I thought we acquitted ourselves pretty well considering we played mostly without a midfield. And Freo will be pretty hard to beat at home this year. I would think we’re a better than evens chance for a 5th-8th finish.
 
1970crow said:
I thought we acquitted ourselves pretty well considering we played mostly without a midfield. And Freo will be pretty hard to beat at home this year. I would think we’re a better than evens chance for a 5th-8th finish.
Click to expand...
It’s valid
No Rankine
No Soligo
No Curtin
No RTT
No Draper
No Keane
No Hinge
No cumming

I don’t think the sky is falling yet
 

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