Opinion Who wins the Premiership? (Updated poll - Updated for Prelims))

[Evolved1]

Geelong will pump them in a couple of weeks and show what the real pecking order is for the season.

Geelong are a 5 goal better team than Richmond.

 

[ep2018]

If all teams were full strength I am taking both Port in Adelaide and the Lions in Brisbane before I'd want to play the Eagles in Perth.

That is not a realistic chance of happening this season. Going through the remaining fixtures of the top 8, I came to the frightening conclusion that we cannot afford to lose a single game in order to finish 3rd or 4th.

 

[Catsnlakers]

Hey, if you think you're on the same level as the Eagles & Tigers, who am I to tell you that you're wrong.

In the same vain, I believe that the Lions can be the clear best team in the comp, provided we fix our goalkicking. Until we do that though, there is a reason everyone is doubting us and it's justifiable. Just like it's justifiable for people to doubt Geelong based on their past finals performances (Something that is already now being used on us funnily enough).

It's all just a matter of personal opinion at the end of the day.

I believe we have as much of a chance yes, not a better chance btw. As a Lions man I’m sure you can recall the Power in 2004, all anybody kept saying was they will fall over, they’re mentally weak etc....Yet come the end of the year they were the winners. I could name so many more examples, best policy is to judge a team on how they measure up that year, & this year is quite even, certainly not a top two and the rest scenario like my club & the Saints in 2009.

 

[Herne Hill Hammer]

Geelong are a 5 goal better team than Richmond.

Had WCE on toast at Optus but couldn't complete the deal without a ruckman. Naitanui monstered us and the won by 9.

I think the club realises there's one for the taking this year.

 

[Toffee Lion]

I believe we have as much of a chance yes, not a better chance btw. As a Lions man I’m sure you can recall the Power in 2004, all anybody kept saying was they will fall over, they’re mentally weak etc....Yet come the end of the year they were the winners. I could name so many more examples, best policy is to judge a team on how they measure up that year, & this year is quite even, certainly not a top two and the rest scenario like my club & the Saints in 2009.

100% agree. FWIW I still think we win 04' if we didn't play your mob at the MCG .

There is always too much emphasis put on previous years to try and determine the current year. This is a very close top 5 and as I keep saying, any team from that top 5 can win it on their day. Each team will have their valid reasons for why they believe they have a great shot at winning.

 

[bungalow_bill]

Hey, if you think you're on the same level as the Eagles & Tigers, who am I to tell you that you're wrong.

In the same vain, I believe that the Lions can be the clear best team in the comp, provided we fix our goalkicking. Until we do that though, there is a reason everyone is doubting us and it's justifiable. Just like it's justifiable for people to doubt Geelong based on their past finals performances (Something that is already now being used on us funnily enough).

It's all just a matter of personal opinion at the end of the day.

In terms of current form Brisbane probably have the most upside when you factor in our goal kicking. If we can sort that out our ceiling is scary good

 

[Catsnlakers]

100% agree. FWIW I still think we win 04' if we didn't play your mob at the MCG .

There is always too much emphasis put on previous years to try and determine the current year.

I agree, & yep you were robbed in 04’ no doubt about it, got duped by the old days of the MCG contract to hold a Prelim. I do understand the sentiment in the past finals results being a major factor, but just don’t believe it’s that relevant. For eg we beat the Eagles last year in the finals & stopped them from going back to back, but if we played them this year I wouldn’t go in anymore confident...It will be a close finals series.

 

[Evolved1]

That is not a realistic chance of happening this season. Going through the remaining fixtures of the top 8, I came to the frightening conclusion that we cannot afford to lose a single game in order to finish 3rd or 4th.

I predict the eagles will win 0-1 games against middling Melbourne clubs over the next 3 rounds. I'm optimisitically penciling in a win for the bombers, and I don't do that often.

 

[Evolved1]

Had WCE on toast at Optus but couldn't complete the deal without a ruckman. Naitanui monstered us and the won by 9.

I think the club realises there's one for the taking this year.

Since the consensus seems to be that Richmond and WC are front runners, I'm going to check the odds.

I had your club in the mix before it became popular but didn't put my money where my mouth was.

 

[ep2018]

I predict the eagles will win 0-1 games against middling Melbourne clubs over the next 3 rounds. I'm optimisitically penciling in a win for the bombers, and I don't do that often.

Yeah we'll finish 6-8 this year, depending on how big of a win we have against north in the last round, and if we get to play them in Perth.

 

[My Cotchin Rules]

Geelong will pump them in a couple of weeks and show what the real pecking order is for the season.

Might be a similar situation to last year's H & A game got us at the right time & pumped us. Then came the finals when we had a full team to pick from & you lost Hawkins......rest was history.

 

[PurpleHearts]

Geelong are a 5 goal better team than Richmond.

Reading your posts. It's very obvious you have this secret hatred towards Richmond.
You do realise Cats will get them without Grimes & already missing their 1st & 2nd finishes from last years B&F.
Cats as like last year are having another dream run with injuries.
I wish Freo had some of their bloody luck!

 

[Evolved1]

Yeah we'll finish 6-8 this year, depending on how big of a win we have against north in the last round, and if we get to play them in Perth.

You'll pump north. That's not in doubt.

 

[Evolved1]

Reading your posts. It's very obvious you have this secret hatred towards Richmond.
You do realise Cats will get them without Grimes & already missing their 1st & 2nd finishes from last years B&F.
Cats as like last year are having another dream run with injuries.
I wish Freo had some of their bloody luck!

There are plenty of variables in any AFL season, and this year is throwing more into the mix than usual. Some of the "luck" with injuries can probably be put down to better player management.

If you're making excuses for the tigers already, I suspect you see things panning out much as I do.

As an Essendon supporter, I feel your pain. I haven't seen luck since the turn of the century.

 

[Evolved1]

Might be a similar situation to last year's H & A game got us at the right time & pumped us. Then came the finals when we had a full team to pick from & you lost Hawkins......rest was history.

I wonder whether you would have beaten Geelong at KP.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

It's not so much that those teams have a finals spot on the line, more that WC play sh*t in QLD. I'd be worried if I was a WC supporter.

The quality of the performance against Richmond worries me less than the list of absentees and the question marks over the replacements. In quick succession, we've lost Yeo, Redden, Allen, Waterman, Kennedy, Cripps. That's probably 4 of our 6 first-choice forwards, leaving Ryan to play FF and Darling getting triple-teamed. Not many teams could cover equivalent losses. Just structurally it makes things difficult before you even consider the missing talent and the quality of the replacements.

I think we played well enough against Richmond to hold our own against most teams but butchered some chances and didn't stick tackles. Richmond by comparison were very clean and took their chances. Richmond are also more advanced in their development of their supporting cast so even though both sides have a few missing, Richmond are better equipped to cover them. They got far more from the last 4 or 5 guys picked than WC did. And that's probably going to be a problem for WC in coming weeks again given we're now into guys who are well outside the best 22 or even best 25.

WC have brought in Bailey Williams who's now played 1 game, Xavier O'Neill who's now played 2 games and Nic Reid, a mature-ager who's now played 3. Jarrod Brander is a question mark at this stage, having played 10 games. Josh Rotham, who I think is pretty handy, also has 10 games under his belt. I guess the "solution" in the short term will be to pick Jarrod Cameron, who's played 12 games.

I know that sounds like using injuries as an excuse but you can only carry so many newbies if you want to contend. WC are maxing out on that score at the moment whereas Richmond, to their credit, are better equipped and Geelong don't seem to have many injuries beyond the week-to-week management of Selwood.

So it's not a case of being "worried". Put simply, I'm increasingly of the view that we might not have the cattle available to finish top 4 from here. And then it'll be a bridge too far.

You'll have more cattle available than us.

Richmond, to their credit, are more advanced in the development of their supporting cast. See above.

We had five guys with 10 games or less against you on Thursday night and it looks like we might be stuck with that for a while longer.

 

[The Dice Man]

Richmond won their finals at their home ground, and their only recent finals loss was against another MCG tenant. They wont be given the luxury of playing finals at the MCG this year.

WC started poorly because they were playing in QLD. Take them back to Perth and they're as good as gold.

There's nothing to suggest that either team are capable of taking home the premiership unless the circumstances are right.

Geelong are a versatile team, have many players with winning experience in tight high pressured finals games, and an ageing but freshened Gary Ablett ready to throw back into the mix. If that's not a recipe for finals success, I don't know what is.

Richmond belted a clucky Brisbane on their own turf in finals last year. Tigers haven’t lost a game in Queensland for years. In fact our recent record there is better than at the MCG. I’d be confident of our guys beating anyone at either the Gabba or Metricon.... except maybe Geelong.

On the other hand I’d be less confident of meeting Port(who played their GF a couple of weeks back) in Adelaide or West Coast in Perth.

IF ALL finals are played in Brisbane then it’s between Richmond, Port and Geelong.

Percentages show the true leaders but the Eagles are no good in humid, dewy night games and Brisbane just a tad short on resolve.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

That is not a realistic chance of happening this season. Going through the remaining fixtures of the top 8, I came to the frightening conclusion that we cannot afford to lose a single game in order to finish 3rd or 4th.

We can drop 1, provided Geelong beat Richmond, and still finish 4th. That would leave us 12-5, whereas Richmond would be 11-1-5.

It's on WC's bat. If they win their last 4 games, they'll finish top 4. But if they drop 1, which seems like pretty a reasonable bet, they'll need Geelong to beat Richmond or some other series of improbable upsets, like Brisbane to meltdown completely and drop 2 on the run home.

 

[Sweet Jesus]

IF ALL finals are played in Brisbane then it’s between Richmond, Port and Geelong.

I think that's pretty close to the mark. And I'd have Richmond and Geelong in front.

 

[tonygeeks]

Most knowledgeable footy fans don't think Port Adelaide can win the flag.
Even Port Adelaide fans don't really believe PA can win the flag.
Quietly, I don't even think Port Adelaide players themselves really believe they can win the flag.
They would be the most vulnerable #1 ranked team over the AFL era.

No way Freo 15 , Rosco rang our neck to hang on to top by a fingernail then we probably would of straight setted if the Swans weren’t so banged up in the QF old Goodsy almost did for us on one leg anyway


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[portly]

Port to beat the cats by 120 pts for 2020 premiership

Irriott.


On SM-G920I using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[portly]

Most knowledgeable footy fans don't think Port Adelaide can win the flag.
Even Port Adelaide fans don't really believe PA can win the flag.
Quietly, I don't even think Port Adelaide players themselves really believe they can win the flag.
They would be the most vulnerable #1 ranked team over the AFL era.

It's a matter of experience.

First year of finals for a long time

Still think we have been written off too quickly, especially when we have had so many first22 players out.



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[Numero Uno]

Just remember, when things seem bad, think about Cuz, Kerr etc and what these ********s are up to and it will bring a smile to ya

or just think of failmantle, 26 years of embarrassing themselves

 

[footyfan1978]

I think last night showed me, that the Cats just about look ready for this finals series to come. Although there is still seven weeks to go, so anything can happen from here for a number of sides, but if had to put any money on any side right now, it would be the Cats.

Having Selwood and Ablett to come back for finals series is a nice ace to have up your sleeve leading up to finals time.
I really liked the signs tonight. Dahlhaus play in last quarter showed team play is strong in their group mindset at the moment. Rohan and Hawkins is dangerous duo up forward and Close last quarter stopping fast Johannisen in his tracks is exactly what you want to see from your fringe small forwards too. If they can manage their key defenders and ruck division well, that is the area that needs most attention as that is probably where they can be vulnerable.
They are up against it for other sides that could get homeground finals but they look to have the right mindset for what is ahead.

 

[Shadow89]

Reading your posts. It's very obvious you have this secret hatred towards Richmond.
You do realise Cats will get them without Grimes & already missing their 1st & 2nd finishes from last years B&F.
Cats as like last year are having another dream run with injuries.
I wish Freo had some of their bloody luck!

You do realize we've had our fair share of injuries this year, right? We've just managed them better than in previous years, and our squad is a lot deeper. Stanley, Selwood, Duncan, Ablett, Stewart, Clark, Kolo, Steven, Tuohy, Atkins, Dahlhaus, have all been missing for extended periods this year. We had 7 best 22 players missing at one point, lol.

We'll also face them without Selwood and Ablett, two of our best and fairests (and all the other things) lol.