Unofficial Preview Snakes & Ladders

[Brant]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ee-agency-period/story-fn69a32t-1227092874309

Reference the above, for what it's worth. Trade Period is over - some Clubs won, some lost - others remained silent.

Here is my opinion on what 2015 holds for the Clubs that matter:

1. Port Adelaide
In: Ryder
Out: Nil
Have an awesome squad for H&A Football but lack KP Players in F50m for finals. It looks great to run fast in August but small forwards need KP Performance in September & the delivery dries up when the opposition brings pressure. Will challenge, but only opposition injuries will bring ultimate success.

2. Sydney
In: Nil (Heaney will impact in 1st Season)
Out: Malceski, Dignity + Favouritism (sorry - couldn't help it)...
Ageing KP Defence will get worse; selfish Goodes should decrease effectiveness of their Forwards. Midfield should remain the same (at least) or improve. Possibly out of favour with AFL so won't be gifted the same run of Home Games vs contenders. Top 4 is a certainty. Smith & Rampe should improve off HB but they'll miss Malceski's run (the same way we'd miss Birchall).

3. Hawthorn
In: Frawley, O'Hawk (Jedi & WX)
Out: Lowden, Cheney, Hallahan
List improves on paper, but Hodge, Mitchell, Hale & Lake all add a year. That group has never relied on pace so performance shouldn't drop too much. Should see more from Rioli, Jedi + WX.
Best List + Best Coach = it's ours to lose.

4. North Melbourne
In: Waite, Higgins
Out: Greenwood
Is it possible North Melbourne somehow become More Dangerous yet even Less Predictable? Who knows what the addition of Waite does to that team or what his presence means for Petrie. Should finish about 4th. Should...

5. Geelong
In: Clark, Stanley
Out: Varcoe, Christensen
Out: Run & Carry. In: Potential Firepower. At best, the addition of Stanley & Clark adds a few goals per week, but the loss of Christensen (in particular) & Varcoe threatens to reduce their run. Watch for the Cats to become more Ducky (Selwood) & Divey (Bartel) in 2015; and, for Stevie J to find new levels of ridiculousness...

6. Fremantle
In: Nil
Out: Chance to win a Flag
Ridiculous faith in a slightly above-average list. McPharlap has half his wage covered via a Disability Pension & Pavlich remains for the free parking in Subiaco on Game Day. Almost guarenteed Top 4 by the AFL but form will fall away when playing away from home.

I see Port Adelaide 'winning' the Minor Premiership (Home Ground + Draw + AFL Darlings + Damn Good Running Team) but I see us as the most likely to win on GF Day.

I'm interested to read other opinions & the reasons for them.

 

[tommyk72]

Sounds about right. Would love to see your impression on some of the climbers (Brizzy, etc).

 

[Davo23]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ee-agency-period/story-fn69a32t-1227092874309



Reference the above, for what it's worth. Trade Period is over - some Clubs won, some lost - others remained silent.

Here is my opinion on what 2015 holds for the Clubs that matter:

1. Port Adelaide
In: Ryder
Out: Nil
Have an awesome squad for H&A Football but lack KP Players in F50m for finals. It looks great to run fast in August but small forwards need KP Performance in September & the delivery dries up when the opposition brings pressure. Will challenge, but only opposition injuries will bring ultimate success.

2. Sydney
In: Nil (Heaney will impact in 1st Season)
Out: Malceski, Dignity + Favouritism (sorry - couldn't help it)...
Ageing KP Defence will get worse; selfish Goodes should decrease effectiveness of their Forwards. Midfield should remain the same (at least) or improve. Possibly out of favour with AFL so won't be gifted the same run of Home Games vs contenders. Top 4 is a certainty. Smith & Rampe should improve off HB but they'll miss Malceski's run (the same way we'd miss Birchall).

3. Hawthorn
In: Frawley, O'Hawk (Jedi & WX)
Out: Lowden, Cheney, Hallahan
List improves on paper, but Hodge, Mitchell, Hale & Lake all add a year. That group has never relied on pace so performance shouldn't drop too much. Should see more from Rioli, Jedi + WX.
Best List + Best Coach = it's ours to lose.

4. North Melbourne
In: Waite, Higgins
Out: Greenwood
Is it possible North Melbourne somehow become More Dangerous yet even Less Predictable? Who knows what the addition of Waite does to that team or what his presence means for Petrie. Should finish about 4th.

5. Geelong
In: Clark, Stanley
Out: Varcoe, Christensen
Out: Run & Carry. In: Potential Firepower. At best, the addition of Stanley & Clark adds a few goals per week, but the loss of Christensen (in particular) & Varcoe threatens to reduce their run. Watch for the Cats to become more Ducky (Selwood) & Divey (Bartel) in 2015; and, for Stevie J to find new levels of ridiculousness...

6. Fremantle
In: Nil
Out: Chance to win a Flag
Ridiculous faith in a slightly above-average list. McPharlap has half his wage covered via a Disability Pension & Pavlich remains for the free parking in Subiaco on Game Day. Almost guarenteed Top 4 by the AFL but form will fall away when playing away from home.

I see Port Adelaide 'winning' the Minor Premiership (Home Ground + Draw + AFL Darlings + Damn Good Running Team) but I see us as the most likely to win on GF Day.

I'm interested to read other opinions & the reasons for them.

Varcoe out means Geelong will play with 18 on the field.

I predict Geelong will be much improved.

 

[madhawksfan]

Freo no chance of top 4 given they barely made it this year and they have done nothing to improve their list. Too old, too slow and too reliant on an outdated game plan which cannot contain Port, North or us for four quarters.

Port and North should replace Geelong and Freo in the top 4 but North are an enigma so you never know. Waite can be a match winner but also a spud (he is playing at the right club given his Jeykll and Hyde tendencies). Higgins is handy but not likely to make them premiership threats given that they lost Greenwood. For mine, North still rely too heavily on Harvey, Petrie, Goldstein and Thomas and if those guys don't fire they struggle. Cunnington had a breakout year but they will need continued improvement from their bottom 6-8 players to be serious contenders. Petrie would almost need a career year as would Waite.

I know they nearly ran us down, but I'm still not convinced Port's game style will hold up against the better defensive sides. Ryder is a good pick up and they are hard to stop when they have the ball. However, if their mids aren't winning it or they are forced into a slower contested slog they aren't nearly as dangerous.

Swans will get looked after with an easy fixture and their midfield and forward line will do enough damage to make up for their tremendously overrated backline. Will finish top 2 most likely, although if they get anything resembling the injuries which we got they will struggle (particularly if they lose Franklin, Richards, Grundy, Kennedy or Pyke for extended periods).

Geelong must drop off at some point and I think the signs were there this year even before their straight sets exit. Clark will take some of the heat off Hawkins if, and it's a big if, he comes back fit and firing. Their ruck department is still a big concern and their lack of outside run will be exposed by Port, North, GC, and us. Again, very reliant on their senior players (Daffy, Johnson, Taylor, Enright, Bartel and Hawkins) and unless their younger guys like Duncan, Guthrie and Motlop step up consistently in big games they will not advance beyond the second week of September.

Gold Coast are the other sleeper. Probably would've played in September if not for GAJ getting injured. Another preseason and their midfield group will be very difficult to contain. Their forward line is the big question mark though as Day, Dixon, Matera and co haven't proven themselves against the better sides consistently.

It will be another tightly fought season in 2015 and we will need a lot of things to go right to be there on the last day in September. Our ageing players (Hodge, Burgoyne, Mitchell, Lake and Gibbo) will need to be managed through the season and Rioli needs to used carefully to ensure that he is fit and firing for finals. IMO Cyril should not play in any games where it is wet/bitterly cold or on substandard grounds such as ANZ as that is just asking for a hammy to ping. Hopefully our younger/fringe players like Langers, Duryea, JOR, Anderson, Woody, Simpkin, Spang, Schoey, Billy, Ceglar, Litherland and TOB continue to warrant selection and get more experience under their belt while keeping competition for spots fierce.

 

[Adelaide Hawk]

I'm going to do what I do every season. Wait until it gets underway and see how the clubs go. Then late in the minor round, I'll try to work out what shape the Hawks are in so far as challenging for the flag. A lot of water to pass under the bridge until then, injuries, loss of form, etc, all takes it's toll. So until then, I'm gonna keep celebrating back to back

 

[Collins-Langford-Ayres]

Varcoe out means Geelong will play with 18 on the field.

I predict Geelong will be much improved.

If Stanley plays its back even and I rate Christensen more than I would suggest on The Bay.

 

[Dewnior]

Don't rate the Tigers huh? KB ain't gonna be happy.

 

[JustKickIt]

I would like to thank North for the stinker final they put in against $ydney. Making the $wans think they were world beaters gave us a great opportunity to flatten them.

 

[spudmaster]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/a...ee-agency-period/story-fn69a32t-1227092874309

Reference the above, for what it's worth. Trade Period is over - some Clubs won, some lost - others remained silent.

Here is my opinion on what 2015 holds for the Clubs that matter:

1. Port Adelaide
In: Ryder
Out: Nil
Have an awesome squad for H&A Football but lack KP Players in F50m for finals. It looks great to run fast in August but small forwards need KP Performance in September & the delivery dries up when the opposition brings pressure. Will challenge, but only opposition injuries will bring ultimate success.

2. Sydney
In: Nil (Heaney will impact in 1st Season)
Out: Malceski, Dignity + Favouritism (sorry - couldn't help it)...
Ageing KP Defence will get worse; selfish Goodes should decrease effectiveness of their Forwards. Midfield should remain the same (at least) or improve. Possibly out of favour with AFL so won't be gifted the same run of Home Games vs contenders. Top 4 is a certainty. Smith & Rampe should improve off HB but they'll miss Malceski's run (the same way we'd miss Birchall).

3. Hawthorn
In: Frawley, O'Hawk (Jedi & WX)
Out: Lowden, Cheney, Hallahan
List improves on paper, but Hodge, Mitchell, Hale & Lake all add a year. That group has never relied on pace so performance shouldn't drop too much. Should see more from Rioli, Jedi + WX.
Best List + Best Coach = it's ours to lose.

4. North Melbourne
In: Waite, Higgins
Out: Greenwood
Is it possible North Melbourne somehow become More Dangerous yet even Less Predictable? Who knows what the addition of Waite does to that team or what his presence means for Petrie. Should finish about 4th. Should...

5. Geelong
In: Clark, Stanley
Out: Varcoe, Christensen
Out: Run & Carry. In: Potential Firepower. At best, the addition of Stanley & Clark adds a few goals per week, but the loss of Christensen (in particular) & Varcoe threatens to reduce their run. Watch for the Cats to become more Ducky (Selwood) & Divey (Bartel) in 2015; and, for Stevie J to find new levels of ridiculousness...

6. Fremantle
In: Nil
Out: Chance to win a Flag
Ridiculous faith in a slightly above-average list. McPharlap has half his wage covered via a Disability Pension & Pavlich remains for the free parking in Subiaco on Game Day. Almost guarenteed Top 4 by the AFL but form will fall away when playing away from home.

I see Port Adelaide 'winning' the Minor Premiership (Home Ground + Draw + AFL Darlings + Damn Good Running Team) but I see us as the most likely to win on GF Day.

I'm interested to read other opinions & the reasons for them.

Know how I can tell you were drinking whilst typing that? You became progressively more and more sarcastic/smart-arsey as it went on

 

[crazywildhorse]

The coaching staff will be onto the Power, as they were with 'Manic Freo', and 'No Adjective can Describe Their Greatness Sydney'.

I am really interested in what game plan Clarkson and the boys are going to come up with this year. I get a feeling it will be a bit different from what we've seen in the last couple.