Prediction Who will finish higher - Western Bulldogs, Fremantle, Brisbane or St Kilda

[Flags_In_The_Bag]

Lions would be even younger and less experienced without Hodge.

So would we without Morris

 

[Quokka]

And Freo have Sandilands who (like Morris) is almost six years older than the oldest Saints player (Armitage), when all four teams have an average age variation of something like 0.47 years I reckon hindsight will say there were a lot bigger factors that decided how 2019 panned out for each of them.

 

[Black Stripe]

Armitage is St Kilda's oldest player? Wow and it feels like yesterday that he was being talked up as one of the Saints' quality young players.

To be honest it doesn't feel like he's been around for that long.

Hodge, Morris and Sandilands on the other hand it feels like those guys have been around forever.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Just on him I'd say Armitage is just on the list because he had a contract for this year, and in a mentoring type role in the VFL, as his body seems pretty much completely cooked.

He's basically not been fully fit since he had that belated breakout year in 2015 (he injured his back badly on the first day of the following preseason) and in particular that back has been a serious problem.

He apparently has "the back of a 70 year old" and he struggles big-time with balls below his knees in particular. Was almost comical/tragic watching him try to pick up ground balls last year, and he often resorted to diving on the ball to get possession, to avoid bending down.

It's really hard to see him being anywhere near the team if we're close to full strength, unless his body has had a remarkable turnaround.

 

[FreoMonocle]

he struggles big-time with balls below his knees in particular.

Just hit 50, so can sympathize as the process is well and truly underway...[/QUOTE]

 

[Ron The Bear]

They would all reasonably expect to improve, but that's unlikely unless one of the top dozen from last year crashes. The Bulldogs are well ahead of the development clock but may just need another year to balance up. Surely this is the year Brisbane makes a move.

 

[VineyToClark]

They would all reasonably expect to improve, but that's unlikely unless one of the top dozen from last year crashes. The Bulldogs are well ahead of the development clock but may just need another year to balance up. Surely this is the year Brisbane makes a move.

Brisbane do well in these polls every year - and every year they finish bottom 4.

Any year now and they'll make their move.

 

[joop]

Brisbane do well in these polls every year - and every year they finish bottom 4.

Any year now and they'll make their move.

Can you link me to the previous years where Brisbane has polled well?

 

[Ron The Bear]

Brisbane do well in these polls every year - and every year they finish bottom 4.

Any year now and they'll make their move.

Haven't been a Brisbane fan, they often seem less than the sum of their parts. But there's too much talent there now not to be posting results. They're not kids any more and if they don't win several more games than last year, heads will have to roll.

 

[Boppo]

Brisbane do well in these polls every year - and every year they finish bottom 4.

Any year now and they'll make their move.

It'll be this year. Not only will they make the eight, they will bash a bunch of teams into submission along the way.

 

[aussierulesrules]

It'll be this year. Not only will they make the eight, they will bash a bunch of teams into submission along the way.

Well there you go!

 

[Black Stripe]

Have opinions changed after JLT1 or does JLT1 not mean anything?

 

[StevoJenkins]

Have opinions changed after JLT1 or does JLT1 not mean anything?

Unless injuries happen, both JLT games mean nothing.

 

[aussierulesrules]

Have opinions changed after JLT1 or does JLT1 not mean anything?

For one thing, you'd have to think there are pretty big questionmarks over WB's forwardline and where their goals are going to come from, given that from memory Boyd is out indefinitely, and Schache and Dixon were in the squad, but didn't make the final extended team on the weekend (are they, especially Schache, just returning from injury or something?).

Which left pretty much just Gowers as their only "recognised forward".

I know their forwardline in the premiership year didn't look much chop on paper, but this seems to take that to a whole other level.

Going to be fascinating to see how or if they make it work this year.

 

[WWSD]

Not many peope tipping Fremantle to make the top eight. I think they will play finals and finish maybe 7th or 8th.

What I like about Fremantle is their key position stocks. Hogan (23), Lobb (26), Pearce (23), Cox (20), Hamling (25), Logue (20) and Darcy (20). That’s a good spine to build around.

The addition of Hogan and Lobb makes Fremantle a 2-3 goal better team compared to last year. Add to that the continued improvement from the likes of Brayshaw, Blakely, Tucker, Cox, Cerra, Langdon, Duman, Ryan, Banfield etc. A fit Sandilands, Fyfe, S.Hill makes them dangerous.

 

[M Malice]

Just hit 50, so can sympathize as the process is well and truly underway...

Hitting 60 later this year.

 

[joop]

Not many peope tipping Fremantle to make the top eight. I think they will play finals and finish maybe 7th or 8th.

What I like about Fremantle is their key position stocks. Hogan (23), Lobb (26), Pearce (23), Cox (20), Hamling (25), Logue (20) and Darcy (20). That’s a good spine to build around.

The addition of Hogan and Lobb makes Fremantle a 2-3 goal better team compared to last year. Add to that the continued improvement from the likes of Brayshaw, Blakely, Tucker, Cox, Cerra, Langdon, Duman, Ryan, Banfield etc. A fit Sandilands, Fyfe, S.Hill makes them dangerous.

There’s no evidence that Fremantle are a 2-3 goal better side because of Hogan and Lobb. It’s more about the gameplan rather than key forwards when it comes to their scoring.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

There’s no evidence that Fremantle are a 2-3 goal better side because of Hogan and Lobb. It’s more about the gameplan rather than key forwards when it comes to their scoring.

I dont think that's entirely true.

Lyon has said they were forced to play McCarthy as a key forward last year, a role for which he's not really suited. If you dont have the cattle your options are limited as to the gameplan.

From what I've seen Lyon has favoured using tall forwards who can get up the ground and even contribute in defence at times in the past. Many teams do this though.

 

[ManOfClay]

Schache and Dixon were in the squad, but didn't make the final extended team on the weekend (are they, especially Schache, just returning from injury or something?).


.

Given the match conditions schache would have struggled, we opted for him and Dickson to play a vfl practice match in Melbourne rather than far North Queensland. They both kicked goals in that, Dickson three and Schache three in the end there as well

 

[lewdogs]

Not many peope tipping Fremantle to make the top eight. I think they will play finals and finish maybe 7th or 8th.

What I like about Fremantle is their key position stocks. Hogan (23), Lobb (26), Pearce (23), Cox (20), Hamling (25), Logue (20) and Darcy (20). That’s a good spine to build around.

The addition of Hogan and Lobb makes Fremantle a 2-3 goal better team compared to last year. Add to that the continued improvement from the likes of Brayshaw, Blakely, Tucker, Cox, Cerra, Langdon, Duman, Ryan, Banfield etc. A fit Sandilands, Fyfe, S.Hill makes them dangerous.

That's a pretty big if. They've lost their b and f winner and their midfield looks very thin to me. Many of the players you've mentioned, Brayshaw Cerra etc, they're second year players and not in a position to carry a large midfield workload. I see them as a bottom 4 side but who knows.

 

[Yojimbo]

Brisbane: 37, (30.89).
St Kilda: 39, (38.01).
Western Bulldogs: 41, (38.07).
Fremantle: 42, (35.67).

Well there are two sets of meaningless numbers that will frustrate.

The core method needs some work for all of them to be honest.

 

[Isaac Cumming No 1]

That's a pretty big if. They've lost their b and f winner and their midfield looks very thin to me. Many of the players you've mentioned, Brayshaw Cerra etc, they're second year players and not in a position to carry a large midfield workload. I see them as a bottom 4 side but who knows.

The players you mention will take some benefit from an off season though. To me it's illogical they'll go backwards.

 

[joop]

I dont think that's entirely true.

Lyon has said they were forced to play McCarthy as a key forward last year, a role for which he's not really suited. If you dont have the cattle your options are limited as to the gameplan.

From what I've seen Lyon has favoured using tall forwards who can get up the ground and even contribute in defence at times in the past. Many teams do this though.

Yeh well even when Lyon has had super strong sides they haven’t been renowned for being a super high scoring team. Not sure why people think this will all of a sudden change because Freo have Hogan and Lobb. I don’t think they have the midfield to be allow those guys to make them be a 2-3 goal better team anyway. Obviously I could be wrong but I think Freo are a couple years away from pushing for finals.

 

[Brass Dog]

Brisbane: 37, (30.89).
St Kilda: 39, (38.01).
Western Bulldogs: 41, (38.07).
Fremantle: 42, (35.67).

Well there are two sets of meaningless numbers that will frustrate.

The core method needs some work for all of them to be honest.

But what do all these numbers mean Yojimbo?

 

[threesixpio]

Time for the Lions to roar again. Hodgey’s on field leadership will pay in big dividends this year

Saints are hopeless and always will be

Freo will improve and could surprise

F*** knows what’s going on at the kennel