Weakest year since…

[ourgameplandoesntwork]

This year would have to be one of the weakest seasons of AFL we have witnessed. It almost seems sacrilege that someone has to win the premiership this year. The winner will be one of the weakest in many years.

Other weak premiers include WCE 2018 (Richmond a great team that year), Dogs 2016, Swans 2012?
Then you’d have to go back a while before that…

Collingwood - some close wins have flattered them. The best out of the lot so far. Weak competition.

Port Adelaide - also flattered by some close wins. They seem to fall apart under pressure. The gap between their best, and worst is the largest in the competition.

Brisbane - can’t win in Melbourne. Can’t see how they win interstate final/s. Look a different team away from the GABBA.

Melbourne - have been reasonable. Don’t look anywhere near the level they were at in 2021 and early 2022.

GWS - decent side. Nothing special.

Bulldogs - dangerous on the day. Inconsistent.

Saints - had a good start to the year, but can’t see them beating top teams.

Carlton - look great when they are on. Mixed year. Would have liked to have seen them in the top 4. At least they can threaten in Melbourne in September.

Geelong - a shadow of 2022. With all the players they’ve got back in recent weeks, they are an enormous disappointment.

Adelaide - dangerous on their day, a team on the up

The rest… who cares (could put Geelong and Adelaide in that basket too)

I could have left it at the top 4 to 6 teams to illustrate the point, but went a bit further.

Really, the point is that whoever wins it won’t even be close to Geel 2022, Rich 17,19-20, Melb 21 etc.

 

[dmt]

Stop having a sook just because we’re going to miss finals for the third time in 20 years.

I think this season has been great because it’s been something entirely different if I take off my Geelong supporter glasses.

 

[Purple7x08_24]

This year would have to be one of the weakest seasons of AFL we have witnessed. It almost seems sacrilege that someone has to win the premiership this year. The winner will be one of the weakest in many years.

Other weak premiers include WCE 2018 (Richmond a great team that year), Dogs 2016, Swans 2012?
Then you’d have to go back a while before that…

Collingwood - some close wins have flattered them. The best out of the lot so far. Weak competition.

Port Adelaide - also flattered by some close wins. They seem to fall apart under pressure. The gap between their best, and worst is the largest in the competition.

Brisbane - can’t win in Melbourne. Can’t see how they win interstate final/s. Look a different team away from the GABBA.

Melbourne - have been reasonable. Don’t look anywhere near the level they were at in 2021 and early 2022.

GWS - decent side. Nothing special.

Bulldogs - dangerous on the day. Inconsistent.

Saints - had a good start to the year, but can’t see them beating top teams.

Carlton - look great when they are on. Mixed year. Would have liked to have seen them in the top 4. At least they can threaten in Melbourne in September.

Geelong - a shadow of 2022. With all the players they’ve got back in recent weeks, they are an enormous disappointment.

Adelaide - dangerous on their day, a team on the up

The rest… who cares (could put Geelong and Adelaide in that basket too)

I could have left it at the top 4 to 6 teams to illustrate the point, but went a bit further.

Really, the point is that whoever wins it won’t even be close to Geel 2022, Rich 17,19-20, Melb 21 etc.

I really don't think you know what you're talking about.

 

[ourgameplandoesntwork]

Stop having a sook just because we’re going to miss finals for the third time in 20 years.

I think this season has been great because it’s been something entirely different if I take off my Geelong supporter glasses.

Actually it makes Geelong look WORSE.
Being this bad in a weak year doesn’t make us look good!

 

[Ocha905]

This year would have to be one of the weakest seasons of AFL we have witnessed. It almost seems sacrilege that someone has to win the premiership this year. The winner will be one of the weakest in many years.

Other weak premiers include WCE 2018 (Richmond a great team that year), Dogs 2016, Swans 2012?
Then you’d have to go back a while before that…

Collingwood - some close wins have flattered them. The best out of the lot so far. Weak competition.

Port Adelaide - also flattered by some close wins. They seem to fall apart under pressure. The gap between their best, and worst is the largest in the competition.

Brisbane - can’t win in Melbourne. Can’t see how they win interstate final/s. Look a different team away from the GABBA.

Melbourne - have been reasonable. Don’t look anywhere near the level they were at in 2021 and early 2022.

GWS - decent side. Nothing special.

Bulldogs - dangerous on the day. Inconsistent.

Saints - had a good start to the year, but can’t see them beating top teams.

Carlton - look great when they are on. Mixed year. Would have liked to have seen them in the top 4. At least they can threaten in Melbourne in September.

Geelong - a shadow of 2022. With all the players they’ve got back in recent weeks, they are an enormous disappointment.

Adelaide - dangerous on their day, a team on the up

The rest… who cares (could put Geelong and Adelaide in that basket too)

I could have left it at the top 4 to 6 teams to illustrate the point, but went a bit further.

Really, the point is that whoever wins it won’t even be close to Geel 2022, Rich 17,19-20, Melb 21 etc.

Almost as bad a call as your account's name lol.

 

[dmt]

Actually it makes Geelong look WORSE.
Being this bad in a weak year doesn’t make us look good!

We aren’t any good though mate.

We are blessed to be in the position of being the only Victorian club without a neutral home ground. We wouldn’t have made finals in years such as 2012 and 2018 without it, and we don’t deserve to be there this year.

 

[ourgameplandoesntwork]

Almost as bad a call as your account's name lol.

The account name was a Barry Crocker

But if anyone thinks any teams even compare to previous premiers, they are having a laugh.

 

[Chat Pile]

It feels like this has been said every year for a while.

 

[Wolfgang West]

This year would have to be one of the weakest seasons of AFL we have witnessed. It almost seems sacrilege that someone has to win the premiership this year. The winner will be one of the weakest in many years.

Other weak premiers include WCE 2018 (Richmond a great team that year), Dogs 2016, Swans 2012?
Then you’d have to go back a while before that…

Collingwood - some close wins have flattered them. The best out of the lot so far. Weak competition.

Port Adelaide - also flattered by some close wins. They seem to fall apart under pressure. The gap between their best, and worst is the largest in the competition.

Brisbane - can’t win in Melbourne. Can’t see how they win interstate final/s. Look a different team away from the GABBA.

Melbourne - have been reasonable. Don’t look anywhere near the level they were at in 2021 and early 2022.

GWS - decent side. Nothing special.

Bulldogs - dangerous on the day. Inconsistent.

Saints - had a good start to the year, but can’t see them beating top teams.

Carlton - look great when they are on. Mixed year. Would have liked to have seen them in the top 4. At least they can threaten in Melbourne in September.

Geelong - a shadow of 2022. With all the players they’ve got back in recent weeks, they are an enormous disappointment.

Adelaide - dangerous on their day, a team on the up

The rest… who cares (could put Geelong and Adelaide in that basket too)

I could have left it at the top 4 to 6 teams to illustrate the point, but went a bit further.

Really, the point is that whoever wins it won’t even be close to Geel 2022, Rich 17,19-20, Melb 21 etc.

Give us a spell. You are going to miss finals so you start dribble like this ? Geelong don’t make finals all of Sudden it’s s weak year ? Hawks and Swans 2012 were very good sides.

 

[Demon13304]

It feels like this has been said every year for a while.

Deadset. They were saying that during Richmond's dynasty and now old mate is going on about how strong those years were

I hate this discrediting, its all bullshit

 

[Danw0w]

I actually think the opposite. The mid to lower teams have been better this year than usual and this will be one of the most impressive premierships to whoever wins it.

 

[ourgameplandoesntwork]

I actually think the opposite. The mid to lower teams have been better this year than usual and this will be one of the most impressive premierships to whoever wins it.

Lower to mid have been better, yes.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

2009

Haven’t seen a worse bottom 2 since the tanking era.

This year still a harder comp though. Hawks are good enough to beat the likely minor premiers.

 

[Milanista28]

Not weak, it's even.

 

[emuboy]

I would say that 2017 was the weakest year, just so many bad standard, low-scoring games, one on top of another culminating in a terrible finals series of inconsistent form and one-sided, low standard finals.

 

[btdg]

I think this is an absurdly tough year.

The top 4 are ahead, but it is murderous below that. All the way down to 16th are super competitive, and no one has dropped off - usually teams start to fall away as form and injury stack up but they just keep coming. I thought Freo were done, for example, and they went and beat Geelong at GMHBA. GC and Richmond changed coaches... and kicked back into contention. I

Even Hawthorn are a country mile ahead of some of the Carlton teams i have seen finish 16th. They would probably be 11th or 12 in some seasons.

It means teams can't afford a form slump -as we see with Collingwood and Port, even a slight drop and they are dropping games everywhere.

I think we got a bit used to dominant teams after the last expansion, which really thinned the draft at the same time as free agency was coming in. This hurt the lower mid table clubs and helped the top teams get better for a short while. Now we have swung back to parity and it is fantastic imo

 

[ourgameplandoesntwork]

Even year.
Good competition.
But no great quality teams.

 

[bzparkes]

Last year was pretty damn weak, as evidenced by a fairly ordinary Geelong side flogging a poor Swans outfit in the GF.

The fact both teams look likely to miss finals says it all.

 

[STRONGandBALD]

Even year.
Good competition.
But no great quality teams.

Seems that way BECAUSE it’s even. That’s how you know it’s a strong comp.

 

[Blue1980]

I think this is an absurdly tough year.

The top 4 are ahead, but it is murderous below that. All the way down to 16th are super competitive, and no one has dropped off - usually teams start to fall away as form and injury stack up but they just keep coming. I thought Freo were done, for example, and they went and beat Geelong at GMHBA. GC and Richmond changed coaches... and kicked back into contention. I

Even Hawthorn are a country mile ahead of some of the Carlton teams i have seen finish 16th. They would probably be 11th or 12 in some seasons.

It means teams can't afford a form slump -as we see with Collingwood and Port, even a slight drop and they are dropping games everywhere.

I think we got a bit used to dominant teams after the last expansion, which really thinned the draft at the same time as free agency was coming in. This hurt the lower mid table clubs and helped the top teams get better for a short while. Now we have swung back to parity and it is fantastic imo

Yes anyone down to 15th would be a reasonable finals side.

 

[Lavender Bushranger]

This year would have to be one of the weakest seasons of AFL we have witnessed. It almost seems sacrilege that someone has to win the premiership this year. The winner will be one of the weakest in many years.

Other weak premiers include WCE 2018 (Richmond a great team that year), Dogs 2016, Swans 2012?
Then you’d have to go back a while before that…

Collingwood - some close wins have flattered them. The best out of the lot so far. Weak competition.

Port Adelaide - also flattered by some close wins. They seem to fall apart under pressure. The gap between their best, and worst is the largest in the competition.

Brisbane - can’t win in Melbourne. Can’t see how they win interstate final/s. Look a different team away from the GABBA.

Melbourne - have been reasonable. Don’t look anywhere near the level they were at in 2021 and early 2022.

GWS - decent side. Nothing special.

Bulldogs - dangerous on the day. Inconsistent.

Saints - had a good start to the year, but can’t see them beating top teams.

Carlton - look great when they are on. Mixed year. Would have liked to have seen them in the top 4. At least they can threaten in Melbourne in September.

Geelong - a shadow of 2022. With all the players they’ve got back in recent weeks, they are an enormous disappointment.

Adelaide - dangerous on their day, a team on the up

The rest… who cares (could put Geelong and Adelaide in that basket too)

I could have left it at the top 4 to 6 teams to illustrate the point, but went a bit further.

Really, the point is that whoever wins it won’t even be close to Geel 2022, Rich 17,19-20, Melb 21 etc.

Last year was the weakest.

 

[adammania9]

Last year Geelong won their back 13, Sydney their back 6 and Collingwood 12 of their back 13. The Demons were the reigning premiers. Was a very strong top four.

This year you cannot bank on any of the current top four winning a final. Melbourne are in the best winning form right now but have been far from dominant.

 

[Stumpy Pete]

The evenness of the competition has me wondering whether the impact on the draft from the introduction of the Giants and the Suns has finally washed out and we are now seeing the effect of continued efforts for equalisation (salary cap, draft, soft cap etc).

It is too early to tell of course but if we see such evenness over the next couple of years it will gone good for thought in terms of what types of concessions are given to the Tasmanian team (a team I may very well switch to supporting).

Please note my earlier reference or Giants and Suns is not to have a go at them - more perhaps an observation that concessions may well take longer to wash out than we think.

Regards

S. Pete

 

[HavUEvaSeenTheRain]

As posted above, it’s an interesting take to call it weak when you see the two grand finalists last season struggle so much this season.
I think it’s just even so it’s harder to dominate.

 

[Daka]

I'm not sure any season is a weak season with how even the competition is. It's not the right word but it's certainly an open season where a few team could win the flag if they put it together at the right time.