Prediction Who finishes highest out of Bulldogs, Essendon and Hawthorn in 2020?

Who finishes highest in 2020?

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aussierulesrules

aussierulesrules

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These 3 teams finished 7th, 8th and 9th last season, with just one win separating them on the ladder. Who finishes highest in 2020 and why?

After a couple of disappointing seasons following their 2016 premiership, the Doggies bounced back into the finals in 2019, looking much more like the Dogs of 2015/2016. Will the additions of Bruce and Keath and another preseason into the likes of Naughton and English help propel them right up to the pointy end of the ladder?

Essendon again finished in the bottom part of the 8, despite getting so little from Daniher, Smith and Fantasia in particular, but didn't really threaten for a premiership. Will those three get on the park this year and make them much more of a premiership threat, or are the Dons going to stay in that mid-table "no mans land", or even take a bit of a tumble, in Wooshas last year?

While Hawthorn fell out of the 8 in 2019, after finishing the 2018 H&A season 4th, after losing Mitchell for the season, so will his expected return, along with the additions like Patton and Frost, put them right back in the hunt?

Have at it!
 
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Now we are getting to the big end of town, Essendon conceded 400+ Disposals eight times last year the
most in the AFL their speed can expose the slower teams, Brisbane and the GWS were their only wins
against top eight sides in 2019 and the GWS choked badly, Merrett does a lot of the heavy lifting with
10 x 30+ Disposal Games and could use a big beefing accumulator to help out. Hawthorn are control,
but the lustre has faded of late the coach is still sharp, but the Hodge thing baffled me 40 Games at
Brisbane from a guy they cut and he was still good all the while clinging on to players who look cooked
and done. Tom Mitchell is a huge in if he is over his injury and they have enough coming through. The
Bulldogs could be anything or could struggle to adapt to some new structure picked up in the trade
period, the Elimination Final was a blueprint I think a lot of sides would have noticed that as it was too
stark not to notice.

1- Bulldogs, 2- Hawthorn, 3- Essendon, but a little biased obviously.
 

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The Dogs are clearly the best of this lot IMO. I love what they are building, and I reckon there's a good chance they finish the year inside the top 4.

Essendon are a complete enigma. For two seasons I have said they should be going deep but they have massively under performed, they have had injuries but they also just haven't been able to keep their s**t together. They have talent so it wouldn't surprise if it clicks for them in 2020 but it would be equally unsurprising should they stagnate or even regress.

I don't give Hawthorn any chance of making the 8.
 
Essendon's game against West Coast was embarrassing. I can't imagine anyone at the Bombers feeling good about it and, like Melbourne before them, will feel the aftershocks. Confidence is a curious thing. You can work and work and work to gain it, but can disappear faster than you can blink.

I'll give you an example:

You're bowling with the wind and been steaming in for a good session. You're in a rhythm, the ball's coming out nicely and runs are few. There's even a nice little outswinger going late which has them playing and missing. It's time to ramp it up so you bend the back a little more and start pulling out a few tricks. One jags back, you dig one in short, try a few innies.. everything is working in the machine. When you hit the top of you run-up you take a deep breath and know already that this is going to be the wicket ball...

You steam in breathing fire and hit the crease with a thud, pull the arm in a little closer to the ribs, rip the chest around with a grunt and release with the power of a thousand generations. 'you little ripper' - the ball spat out of your hand in admonished anger with only one destination... send those damn stumps cartwheeling. Then it happens...

Through your eyebrows you catch a glimps of that little red nugget holding his line. "wtf happened to the swing?". You hear the batsman shuffle before you see him. 'He's on me.. f*ck'. And then everything collapses. You've overpitched reaching for the extra yard and already know what's about to happen. -crack- Christ, it's come out of the middle.. you're falling. Someone has dropped you from a great height and you're falling. Your stomach churns as you turn in hope that your cover has reacted in time.. he never had a chance. The non-striker doesn't bother running. 4 runs. I'm alone. Where did it all go wrong? And, where the hell should I bowl the next one?

Sorry about the long-winded analogy, but Essendon is the bowler..
 
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that dogs midfield looks stacked, i think they will have a great year

hawks will improve with mitchell back on top of what they did already

essendon will do essendon things
 
WilloTree said:
Essendon's game against West Coast was embarrassing. I can't imagine anyone at the Bombers feeling good about it and, like Melbourne before them, will feel the aftershocks. Confidence is a curious thing. You can work and work and work to gain it, but can disappear faster than you can blink.

I'll give you an example:

You're bowling with the wind and been steaming in for a good session. You're in a rhythm, the ball's coming out nicely and runs are few. There's even a nice little outswinger going late which has them playing and missing. It's time to ramp it up so you bend the back a little more and start pulling out a few tricks. One jags back, you dig one in short, try a few innies.. everything is working in the machine. When you hit the top of you run-up you take a deep breath and know already that this is going to be the wicket ball...

You steam in breathing fire and hit the crease with a thud, pull the arm in a little closer to the ribs, rip the chest around with a grunt and release with the power of a thousand generations. 'you little ripper' - the ball spat out of your hand in admonished anger with only one destination... send those damn stumps cartwheeling. Then it happens...

Through your eyebrows you catch a glimps of that little red nugget holding his line. "wtf happened to the swing?". You hear the batsman shuffle before you see him. 'He's on me.. f*ck'. And then everything collapses. You've overpitched reaching for the extra yard and already know what's about to happen. -crack- Christ, it's come out of the middle.. you're falling. Someone has dropped you from a great height and you're falling. Your stomach churns as you turn in hope that your cover has reacted in time.. he never had a chance. The non-striker doesn't bother running. 4 runs. I'm alone. Where did it all go wrong? And, where the hell should I bowl the next one?

Sorry about the long-winded analogy, but Essendon is the bowler..
Click to expand...
Do you play cricket? Asking for a friend.
 
I think it will be closer that what some people Think.

Dogs naturally are the favourites and right fully so. Can easily get 15wins and potentially get a top 4 spot. Can easily have a 9 or 10 win season if injuries happen.

Hawks can still do damage. Can get a spot in finals. Can also have an 8 win season.

Essendon can get 12 wins again and stumble in for a finals spot. Can also have an 8 win season too.
 
Dogs then toss a coin. Hard to ever discount Hawthorn however I think their lack of taking draft picks at the talenty end (more on that here: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...d-of-the-draft.1207618/page-384#post-64061756) will catch up with them this season. They saw Frost as a massive coup (he’s actually a headless chicken who’s calves are screwed), so this demonstrates where they’re now at.

I see Essendon as the scrap-heap challenge of teams. They had a group of bog average players or NQR’s and have attempted to top up with NQR’s from other teams.

Bulldogs easily ahead of the other two.
 
Cotchins Hair Piece said:
Dogs then toss a coin. Hard to ever discount Hawthorn however I think their lack of taking draft picks at the talenty end (more on that here: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...d-of-the-draft.1207618/page-384#post-64061756) will catch up with them this season. They saw Frost as a massive coup (he’s actually a headless chicken who’s calves are screwed), so this demonstrates where they’re now at.

I see Essendon as the scrap-heap challenge of teams. They had a group of bog average players or NQR’s and have attempted to top up with NQR’s from other teams.

Bulldogs easily ahead of the other two.
Click to expand...

“They saw Frost as a massive coup” is an interesting observation. To be honest I’m not even sure he is a walk up start in the team. The defence was pretty damn good last year and given his former club finished 8 rungs below his new one there is an argument that he, like many Melbourne players, may not be good enough to get a game at a better club like Hawthorn.
 
andrew coombs said:
“They saw Frost as a massive coup” is an interesting observation. To be honest I’m not even sure he is a walk up start in the team. The defence was pretty damn good last year and given his former club finished 8 rungs below his new one there is an argument that he, like many Melbourne players, may not be good enough to get a game at a better club like Hawthorn.
Click to expand...
He's good enough to be in our 22.
Chip came straight in when he came from Melbourne and the gap in ladder position was bigger then.

Reckon he'll play every game this year as long as he stays fit.
 

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Dogs are every chance to finish top 4. I love their list. They have done such a wonderful job in quietly building their list through the draft with clever top ups. Their stars are all drafted and have developed together for years. In my view, their model is the key to success. We can see this historically with the likes of Hawthorn, Geelong, West Coast and Sydney. Draft and develop stars, top up here and there to fill gaps.

Hawthorn are going to be competitive. Any team coaches by Clarkson will be well drilled and cohesive. I have expressed my longer term concern with their list profile and strategy in recent years, but there is no denying that as an opposition supporter, you wouldn't feel comfortable or confident playing Hawthorn. They will make you earn every win. I don't think they will make the finals - and I don't think it would be a bad thing if they missed and refreshed that list for two years with some high end talent via the draft. In saying this, with such an even competition, they could slide into the 8. Either way they will be there or thereabouts between that 7 - 14 positions.

Essendon are the hardest team to put your finger on in the competition. This is a by product of both their dramatic inconsistencies in form and effort, their barren key position stocks, their very average ruck stocks and their lack of high quality, big bodied inside mids. Their game is built on the back of the slingshot from half back, relying on the likes of Saad, Mcgrath and others to break the lines and zone of the oppositions mid defensive structure. They have high quality small forwards and some serious run and dash. I dont think they can make the finals and I wouldn't be surprised if they completely bombed and finished bottom 4. The sooner they can get rid of Dodo the better. How they have not addressed clear deficiencies over the past three off seasons is astounding. How they will be using Shaun Mckernan as potentially their main key forward reflects a total and utter failure of list management.
 
Cotchins Hair Piece said:
Dogs then toss a coin. Hard to ever discount Hawthorn however I think their lack of taking draft picks at the talenty end (more on that here: https://www.bigfooty.com/forum/thre...d-of-the-draft.1207618/page-384#post-64061756) will catch up with them this season. They saw Frost as a massive coup (he’s actually a headless chicken who’s calves are screwed), so this demonstrates where they’re now at.

I see Essendon as the scrap-heap challenge of teams. They had a group of bog average players or NQR’s and have attempted to top up with NQR’s from other teams.

Bulldogs easily ahead of the other two.
Click to expand...

‘yes. After five years of prediction, THIS will be the year thehawks slide ‘as prediced’
 
Looking at teams finishing around the 8th place cut off in recent years, one team will go top 4, one will still be on the cusp of th 8 and one will drop.

essendon have been around that mark for three years now. Very consistent
 
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