Early Ladder Predictions 2007

[camsmith]

I agree Otto has been a dud but our forward like will revolve around our younguns, like Playfair and Nathan Abblett who still may be a bit inexperienced.

Even I think 2nd may be a bit ambitious, but I do expect us to impreove on last year, as we finnished the year pretty poorly.

I also think Hawthorne wil be a big mover up the ladder.

Need to see a few games before we know what other teams are doing, imo.

Yep maybe 2nd is a bit ambitious. I definitely think you're good enough for the top 4.

Agree on your top 8 and bottom 8 Cams except I'd swap the pussies with St Kilda. i'd also switch up the positions a little. Collingwood won't make the finals (Although with 30 games a year on the MCG anything is possible) but they won't win the spoon.

North Melbourne are monties for that award this year. Carlton will improve more than most think.

Any team with Fev shouldn't win the Spoon.. so you have a good point there.

Like i said to Kev, i feel North Melbourne while not great, are better than most people think.

 

[lockyno1]

I hope we get the spoon!

 

[Collingwood Storm]

1. Fremantle
2. West Coast
3. Melbourne
4. St. Kilda
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Hawthorn
7. Adelaide
8. Sydney

9. Richmond
10. Geelong
11. Collingwood
12. Port Adelaide
13. Essendon
14. Brisbane
15. North Melbourne
16. Carlton

 

[CyberKev]

I hope we get the spoon!

Shocking post, absolutely shocking!

If I ever enter into a pre-season hoping that my club will win the spoon, then I'll officially be running on 'kill me, Billy!' time!!!

In normal circumstances, I'd say it was refreshing to see a Bomber tragic not living in some sick, delusional, fantasyland neverworld wherein the red & blacks are good thing smokeys for a top four spot, but I think I'd prefer high hopes to such low rent ones at this stage of the year!

You need to give yourself an upper cut and fire up, young man!

 

[CyberKev]

1. Fremantle
2. West Coast
3. Melbourne
4. St. Kilda
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Hawthorn
7. Adelaide
8. Sydney

9. Richmond
10. Geelong
11. Collingwood
12. Port Adelaide
13. Essendon
14. Brisbane
15. North Melbourne
16. Carlton

You get full marks from me for lack of bias.

 

[meltiger]

It makes me chuckle the amount of people picking Richmond to finish 9th ... Idiots :lol:


Even if there was something to the '9thmond' theory ... It only happens in even years. 94, 96, 98, 2000, 2006 ...

 

[Collingwood Storm]

You get full marks from me for lack of bias.

only being realistic...

the loss of tarrant will hurt in the short term, a lot will depend on whether rocca and fraser can stay fit and how Cloke and Rusling develop

long term the pies have some very good KPP prospects and an improving midfield, of course i still want us to make the 8 and win the flag but it looks unlikely this season

and well there are only 3 certainties in life...death, taxes and richmond finishing 9th

 

[CyberKev]

the loss of tarrant will hurt in the short term, a lot will depend on whether rocca and fraser can stay fit and how Cloke and Rusling develop

Do you think that Rusling will be used predominantly out of FF in the future?

A lot will obviously depend on how Reid & Dawes progress (similarly to the situation developing at Hawthorn, Collingwood could have a number of burgeoning KPP types with no firm view on where they will permanently play), but Rusling strikes me as having the attributes I'd want from a non-power FF.

Would the curent thinking be:

Rusling at FF
Cloke at CHF (after Rocca retires)
Reid at CHB
Brown at FB
Dawes as the third tall up forward?

 

[Collingwood Storm]

Do you think that Rusling will be used predominantly out of FF in the future?

A lot will obviously depend on how Reid & Dawes progress (similarly to the situation developing at Hawthorn, Collingwood could have a number of burgeoning KPP types with no firm view on where they will permanently play), but Rusling strikes me as having the attributes I'd want from a non-power FF.

Would the curent thinking be:

Rusling at FF
Cloke at CHF (after Rocca retires)
Reid at CHB
Brown at FB
Dawes as the third tall up forward?

Rusling is an old fashioned leading FF type, i think he would struggle being stuck leading from the goal square as teams just fill the space in front of him and at this stage he isnt a strong contested mark player, at this stage i think they will be looking for him to play a similar role to what tarrant did from half forward

Cloke has got enormous potential, very good mark and nice kick, he was tried at CHB against WCE last year in the game that the pies beat them and did reasonably well

Reid/Brown/Dawes, its too early to tell what position they will end up in as they have a lot of maturing to do, Brown will probably get a game very early on while Reid just scraped in to be eligible in the draft so he needs some time to develop his body, Dawes did his knee in the final TAC cup game last season and might make an appearance in the Williamstown reserves at the end of the season but he was drafted as a key forward

 

[griffo346]

1. Adelaide
2. West Coast
3. Melbourne
4. St. Kilda
5. Sydney
6. Fremantle
7. Collingwood
8. Harthawn

9. Richmond
10. Geelong
11. Western Bulldogs
12. Carlton
13. Essendon
14. Port Adelaide
15. North Melbourne
16. Brisbane

 

[meltiger]

Richmond ninth again :lol:


Seriously are people capable of thinking?! :lol:

 

[lockyno1]

Shocking post, absolutely shocking!

If I ever enter into a pre-season hoping that my club will win the spoon, then I'll officially be running on 'kill me, Billy!' time!!!

In normal circumstances, I'd say it was refreshing to see a Bomber tragic not living in some sick, delusional, fantasyland neverworld wherein the red & blacks are good thing smokeys for a top four spot, but I think I'd prefer high hopes to such low rent ones at this stage of the year!

You need to give yourself an upper cut and fire up, young man!

I am being realistic Kev. In the end our side is woeful at the moment and although Mal Michael might help the defence somewhat, Fletcher will get his usual 2-3 injuries/suspensions this season and it will cost us. Our midfield is still ridiculously slow. We really need a young gun midfielder. If we win 4 games this year, I'll take that to be honest. I'll be happy for Hird to win his last home game though. It will be a easier season than last year for me as I won't expect us to win anything, plus it saves me tipping us and screwing up my tips!

 

[Choppies]

1.Hawks
2-14 I don't really care.
15.Lions
16.Swans

I wish! Although I do think the Lions will be around 15th

 

[Collingwood Storm]

if jonno brown, simon black, bradshaw, lappin, power and charman stay fit then the lions wont be finishing in the bottom 3

the big query on the lions is their defense

 

[CyberKev]

if jonno brown, simon black, bradshaw, lappin, power and charman stay fit then the lions wont be finishing in the bottom 3

the big query on the lions is their defense

I beg to differ on the first part, Stormer.

Most, if not all, sides would have a comparable top six to the Lions. They are really carrying residual reputation from past glories, but 2003 is an age ago in AFL terms.

I concur strongly on the second bit.

The Lions will enter 2007 with the weakest defence in the competition, and with Lappin needing a lot of time to recover from hios long injury layoff, Brown almost certain to be spending a good many weeks in the injury rooms, Akermanis gone and Voss retired...

Its not a pretty picture being painted.

Bottom four certainties for mine.

 

[aqua_duck]

1. St Kilda
2. Carlton
3. Gold Coast
4. Port Adelaide
5. Fremantle
6. Adelaide
7. Brisbane
8. Collingwood

9. Richmond
10. Bulldogs
11. Geelong
12. Melbourne
13. Essendon
14. Hawthorn
15. West Coast
16. Sydney

I dont know what's worse, your AFL 'predictions' or your wallaby ones.

 

[meltiger]

*snip* Biased anti-Jonathon Brown tripe *snip*

Ignore Kev CS, he doesn't rate Jono Brown.

 

[Collingwood Storm]

i think most people rate jonno brown....especially since he came out and said his toughest opponent in the AFL is big presti!

at least someone outside of collingwood realises just how good that guy is

 

[lockyno1]

Good compared to a average defender!

 

[CyberKev]

Ignore Kev CS, he doesn't rate Jono Brown.

Indeed I do not...

After all, I've only had him occupying 2nd spot on my best players in the comp list for about 3-4 years now. :-k

Unfortunately for the Lions, and for Brown himself, he is incurably injury prone.

Brisbane will struggle even when he is on the paddock, so heaven help them during the inevitable games they front up to without him on the park.