Which team is lurking?

[Super Hans]

Collingwood. They weren't far off it this year. Added 2 pacy players to their mix, plus Treloar is a gun, and I think they're a real chance in 2017.

Wells and WHE, if they can get it right, could make this team hard to contain, especially with Moore up front.

Who kicks their goals? Moore is good, but that's about it. Massive concerns on Elliot playing this year, White sucks, Fasolo is inconsistent.

 

[MJ_Dogs]

Melbourne and St Kilda both had great runs with injury this year I think both teams will struggle if they're having to bring in depth players.


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Agreed. But saints did well getting Steele and Stevens this year to add depth. They just need to add mids who will make these players depth players! It's also one thing to play care free footy outside the eight vs play accountable footy when you have expectations. We'll see what both sides are made of next year.

 

[Lucky Star]

We were in a rebuild yes. But I firmly believe that if Macca was still coach we would still be struggling to make top 8.

Definitely yes-- somebody should do a thread about the dystopian future (and present) if Macca was still in charge...

 

[murphy2bedabest]

Was listening to SEN a few weeks back and they were talking about this, who ever was on sad they were speaking to an assistant coach of one of these clubs. ( my thoughts went to gilbee)

What they said was that this next step for a club is the hardest step to make, that the competition is so even, you can't expect many sides to drop out.

GWS and US seem to be the clear top two sides going into next season.
As much as I don't rate Geelong's list, again if Dangerfield has a great season he should drag them to enough wins in 2017. The crows and swans you'd think would be fighting Geelong for top 4.

Have we done enough to make other clubs believe they can beat hawthorn? Or will they again win those close games just because they are hawthorn?

A lot always depends on WCE's draw, they should just do enough to make the top 8

Now North, we finished 3 games clear of them in 7th, I can't see them holding ground or winning their first 9 matches again.

So without knowing the draw I can only see North dropping out, because their needs to be at least a 4 game turn around from more than 2 sides to overtake WCE or the Hawks even us, I can't see that happening.

The dees, Saints, pies and GC seem to be the most likely candidates, but this again will depend on the draw and which side can best cope with injuries.

 

[BulldogJake]

Melbourne will be anywhere from 4th-8th this season in my opinion. They have a very good side and have made the right additions (Hibberd, Lewis) at the right time. St. Kilda might scrape into the 8 but unless they make changes I can't ever see them genuinely challenging with their current side.

 

[Dogs_r_barking]

Collingwood, if Bucks can unite the players. Took big scalps this year including GWS away and Geelong and nearly us.

 

[BrisDog]

I reckon Hawks will miss the eight. North obviously will as well.

 

[bontshow]

St Kilda. They have an ultra quick transition game, when they are on they look terrific. They haven't been able to produce that consistently, but such is the hallmark of a young side

 

[j0rdy1]

Toss up between St Kilda/Melbourne. I think only one spot in the 8 will change from this season obviously that being North, can't see Collingwood doing it huge question marks over both their defense and forward line I can't see how they kick a winning score consistently and their defense this season was horrible and it got worse during this off season period.

 

[cecil]

Melbourne for me. They have added quality in Lewis and Hibberd. Saints could rise too but Carlisle is the only in who will measurably improve their team and that could be balanced out by a fall in form of a Reiwoldt/Montagna etc.

On the flipside Geelong will slide. They had questionably depth to begin with (probably the weakest players rated 20-30 of their list in the top 8) and have just lost Enright (big loss), Caddy, Vardy, Kersten and Bartel. Tuohy is a good player but won't even replace Enright. An injury to either Selwood, Dangerfield or Hawkins and they will slide dramatically.

 

[TommyD13]

thinking its gonna be out of melbourne, saint kilda or collingwood but only a win or two or even percentage will decide if they get there or not

 

[Bemoreboyddog]

Essendon and Freo will rise. Freo more than Essendon - turning Domain into a fortress. Essendon's banned players might have lost a bit of touch.

Melbourne and the Saints are the obvious choices. The doubt I have on Melbourne is going full time under Goodwin. I wanna see how that effects them. Saints will overtake Melbourne in 2018 I feel.

Melbourne can't really do much drafting this year. Saints can and have two first rounders the year after and will have an absolute shitload of cap space, especiallly if Roo and Montagna call it quits. I think the Saints this year are lacking A grade midfield talent but if they address that next off season and balance their list out - get rid of a few forward flankers and get a Kpd in and an elite mid then look out.

 

[Unorth]

It'll be interesting. There are a few teams that have the potential to really improve their standings from this year; (in no particular order) Collingwood, Saints, Melbourne, Freo, Essendon (returning players fitness impending) maybe a couple of others. I think that from next season onward, the amount of teams improving will notably outnumber the amount of teams expected to drop off. Some think the Hawks could drop out of the 8 completely, but that might be optimistic. North are obviously the other team, but I just have a feeling that they won't be as bad as some think. Not saying they'll definitely make the 8- but I think they might be at least putting pressure on 8th/9th along with a few other teams.

This year was obviously extremely tight in the top 8, with 9/10 almost usurping North...I think next year could be tighter. Wouldn't surprise me to see 9/10/11/12 on the ladder all heaping pressure on 7/8. That might be too optimistic, but regardless, the league's probably in a far better place in terms of competitive parity than most sports around the world are. Good to have pressure going right until the last regular season game.

 

[StringyDog]

Who kicks their goals? Moore is good, but that's about it. Massive concerns on Elliot playing this year, White sucks, Fasolo is inconsistent.

Fasolo was having a good year until injured, they are ok up forward, who stops the goals is the question, their backline would quite easily be the worst in the league. Ben Reid goes down (as he always does) and Dunn is holding down the fort

 

[SayerTheCreator]

Richmond

 

[SCRAY72]

Every team except Brisbane Carlton and North.

 

[jdz101]

Every team except Brisbane Carlton and North.

Even though Gold Coast might hit on some picks, I'm not sure they're gonna be that great either.

 

[SCRAY72]

Even though Gold Coast might hit on some picks, I'm not sure they're gonna be that great either.

Only reason I left them there is they still have GAJ and Lynch.
They are in the not hopeless category but they need eveything to go right.

 

[LittleG]

Gold Coast and the Dees are the best placed clubs to come and challenge for the flag. I also think the Pies will make finals this year but then drop off.
GC have a fantastic spine and will come good with less players on the injured list.
Dees have built a good list until you realize that they have concentrated on pure contested ball winners and are missing the outside runners who can kick. I think they will be finalists for a few years but are missing a couple of pieces.
GC still the ones to watch out for.

 

[darthbards]

I'm in the Melbourne camp also but I could also see Fremantle surging straight back into the eight.

 

[redmania]

Bombers. Point to prove and nothing to lose. Dangerous combination.

 

[fronkalicious]

I'm not sold on st kilda and melbourne.

The pies midfield will win them plenty of games, but they still don't have quality off half back, and bucks will likely get sacked mid year.

Freo are going to make the 8 next year IMO.

 

[hujsh]

I'll take a punt on Brisbane. Could well be that like us in 2014 and 2004 they have talented players no one really knows about who could/should be playing really good footy (thinking of Lindsay Gilbee as the prototype here) and getting in a new coach could turn things around faster than expected.

And unlike St.Kilda/Melbourne they'd actually be surprising which was kind of the original question.

 

[hutchy31]

I know it sounds ridiculous, especially as they have all the top 10 picks that will take a while to come on, but Gold Coast.

Tom Lynch is only going to get better and don't forget all their injuries last year.

Post 22 before someone mentioned Gold Coast. Wow.

They were on the brink of finals a few years ago until they had an atrocious run with injuries pretty much until now. Some quality talls, smalls and mids and about to draft a bunch of potential guns, a few of whom might come in and play at a high level right away.

Unless they have a bunch of injuries to key players again I'd be shocked if they didn't challenge for the eight tbh. I reckon they'll give a few teams an absolute belting when they're up and about.

 

[samass03]

I can see 2-3 out of the eight of them being; north (guaranteed), hawks (if Mitchell and JOM don't deliver I don't see them having a winning midfield), Geelong (will depend on injuries as they seem shallow of top talent) possibly WCE how much will naitunuis absence hurt them?


Melbourne: the list build has been great will surely push
Collingwood: need to be on track by the bye or bucks gets the sack I think will start strong
Saints: meh
Gold Coast: the only team more purged by injury this year and add Hanley
Essendon: too many questions but have all the tools
Port: could make 7/8 don't see there ceiling being that high
Freo: could go top 3 could go bottom 3

Which leaves Carlton/brisbane and Richmond, I actually think carltons list is taking shape I find it interesting they are taking some GWS kids in abundance but silvangi, Jaksch, McKay and weiterman are the talls to develop now they bring in mids around cripps and in 2018/19 I think they could be threatening a premiership