Any footy blog worth their salt has a ladder prediction. See if the FanFooty projection matches yours.
1. Geelong. No surprises here. They will burst out of the blocks with fire in their nostrils to kick the wounded Hawks while they’re down in the grand final replay. They have two tougher games after that in Richmond and the Pies, but after that their draw leaves them a smooth run to lead the competition from go to whoa. It will feel rather hollow for Cat fans, who know after the events of September 2008 that it will all mean nothing if they can’t peak in the finals. From a fantasy perspective, I see no halt to the tsunami of points that their midfielders have been generating during their glory run.
2. Hawthorn. I am not all that confident about this pick as I don’t think the Hawks will be nearly as far ahead of the chasing pack as they were last year, due to what I expect to be a terrible opening six weeks of the season. Of their first six games I would only be sure of beating the Eagles, which could leave them at 1-5 by the beginning of May. Their draw opens up to a much more friendly set of fixtures after that, though, so I think coach Alistair Clarkson probably won’t mind starting as underdogs and coming home with a wet sail to allow Geelong to be the frontrunner again. There will be rich fantasy pickings in the mid-price and rookie improvers in the first part of the season, with proppy premiums like Luke Hodge and Lance Franklin being much better as upgrade targets for a solid second half run to the finals.
3. Richmond. According to the unwritten rule that every top 4 prediction must have a team from outside the top 8 the previous year, Richmond is my pick to be that team. Their problem has always been the bottom half of their best 22 dropping away rather sharply in skill and determination, but I think the improvement in players like Daniel Jackson and Matt White, along with more consistency from players like Richard Tambling and Jack Riewoldt topped off with Ben Cousins and maybe club-lifting cameos by Mark Coughlan and even Graham Polak, and the Tigers are looking to me like the best bets to survive the new cluster-focused AFL. Their first three games against Carlton, Geelong and the Bulldogs will go along way towards deciding their year, seeing as how they are such an emotional club, and I expect them to be 2-1 at least out of that sequence to give them the confidence that they can match it with the heavyweights.
4. Western Bulldogs. The Dogs outperformed themselves last year, and ran out of puff towards the end of the season. It is a very good sign for the club that they are practically injury free to start the 2009 campaign, nonetheless, and that combined with their now-traditional run of games at Docklands in the last half of the year will see them scrape into the top four.
5. Port Adelaide. It is hard to escape the conclusion that Port dogged it towards the end of last year, making them by far the most likely to be the bottom four side that lifts themselves into the eight, as one always does. The Power are much better than bottom four, with a midfield that should improve out of sight under the hardcore fitness regime of former Bulldog assistant coach Cameron Falloon. There are still question marks over their forward line, however, with much better years needed from Warren Tredrea and Brett Ebert if they are to get anywhere near top four.
6. Collingwood. I expect Mick Malthouse to get sacked mid-year as the first coaching casualty of Clarko’s cluster. Collingwood FC is a resilient club, however, and they’ll bounce back with a new gameplan, maybe even under Nathan Buckley. As one of the few sides that has the cattle to stop Geelong, NAB Cup grand final notwithstanding, they have the ability to make the eight… they just need a coach who can allow them to play a winning style of footy.
7. Carlton. Look scarily like the Eagles of the mid-oughties in structural terms with a scintillating midfield and a flawed forward line, though it’s a year too early for them to really challenge. It’s definitely not good news that Brendan Fevola is injured early, as their attack is painfully dependent on him. The major reason that I have Carlton behind Richmond in this ladder is that top four sides are built on defence, and I rate Richmond’s tall defenders ahead of Carlton’s. You only have to look at how many shootouts the Blues were drawn into last season to see that they can’t play a lockdown style with their current personnel. The addition of Chris Johnson may help in some respects but they need some more hard-nosed defenders prepared to sacrifice their own games… is it too late to clone Jarrad Waite?
8. North Melbourne. I bag Dean Laidley a lot on this site, but you have to respect the Junkyard Dog’s ability to keep his underpowered list competitive every week. To me, this side is all about Drew Petrie and the small forwards Lindsay Thomas and Matt Campbell. If the latter pair can fire with midfield supply from Petrie dominating in the ruck and around the ground, the Roos can win games. It’s going to be a scrap for this last finals place and if they do get there and have to play Port, I pity their supporters, but they deserve my vote.
9. St Kilda. When fit and firing, the Saints have enough class to beat the lesser sides, but continue to struggle with many of the top eight. Unfortunately for Saint fans, the list is currently wracked with injury, especially in the key positions. Their spine of Max Hudghton, Matt Maguire, Nick Riewoldt and Justin Koschitzke have all been struggling with injuries of varying severity, with both backmen out for the start of the season. Their reliance on Rooey and Kosi to produce is going to be even more pronounced this year with no Charlie Gardiner, and seemingly no ready made replacement at the underappreciated third tall forward position. They really should be at least 3-1 after a first month of Sydney at home, Adelaide away and then both WA teams at home, but I suspect with their injury list and Riewoldt a traditionally slow starter, they will be staring down the barrel come the month of May.
10. Adelaide. This looks like a team in transition to me. A Neil Craig side is never going to bottom out, but with Simon Goodwin, Andrew McLeod and Tyson Edwards being sidelined in favour of younger players like Chris Knights, Nathan Van Berlo and Brent Reilly, there’s a dip in the Crow’s future before they can reach for the heights of the top four again. The biggest problem is the forward line, as it was last year, with Brett Burton out for the first half, Jason Porplyzia injured, Nick Gill underdone, and Craig having to rely on an extremely iffy trio of Trent Hentschel, Kurt Tippett and Taylor Walker to kick his goals. That he has been trialing Jared Petrenko as a small forward shows how desperate Craig has become. Coming off a year where they had a very soft draw to start with in 2008, they will tread water this year at best, as other teams go past them.
11. Brisbane. Speaking of teams in transition, the Lions are going to play a lot differently to the way they did last year, at least to start with. Michael Voss has got the squad plying a much more possession-style gameplan with a lot of touches going through the hands of halfback players along with more than a little flooding. What we haven’t seen from the Lions is how this plays out when they have both Jonathan Brown and Daniel Bradshaw standing inside forward 50. Say what you like about the Leigh Matthews gameplan, he at least knew what his list’s strengths were, and that began and ended with getting the ball as many times to Brownshaw as humanly possible. Will Voss’s plan of kick-to-kick between halfback lines (or handball-to-handball) nullify this strong point of Brisbane’s structure, or will the increased scoring efficiency of their forward line become more important as the inside 50s dry up? This remains to be seen in a fair dinkum match. I suspect that the Lions might lose a fair few matches by big margins this year when their nascent structure gets blown apart, similar to the 2003-era Hawks when they suddenly switched gameplans and had to rebuild the way they played footy.
12. West Coast. I hope for Eagles fans’ sakes that Dean Cox plays all year with that broken cheekbone, because without him they are spoon material. Last year was their bottoming out, and they will win a few more games this year purely due to the Subiaco home ground factor. They still have a lot of work to do to get anywhere near the top 8, though. Putting 22 games into Mitchell Brown will be a start, as will full seasons for Chris Masten and Brad Ebert.
13. Essendon. Sadly, the injury curse hasn’t lifted in 2009, with Andrew Welsh already gone for the year, Scott Lucas looking wobblier than a cockie in King St on a Thursday night, and Scott Gumbleton whose lower back is apparently made out of softer plasticine than the rest of him. Brent Prismall won’t appear until midyear, Jobe Watson is still a limited footballer, Patrick Ryder gets beaten too often and it’s Dustin Fletcher‘s last year. I can only see one game they would be confident of winning in the first 11 – Freo at home in round 2 – so to my mind they’ll have to pull another unlikely mid-season run of wins to avoid the bottom four again this season.
14. Sydney. Yes, this is the year they finally fall in a heap. It has been a long time coming. With injuries, retirements and age catching up with the Swans all at once, this is the season Paul Roos has been dreading. Their list is looking more bare than a fake Pauline Hanson double page spread. They’re one more Barry Hall brain explosion away from contending for the spoon. Shouldn’t be long now! At least they won’t be able to whinge about never having any high draft picks. Oh wait, but Gold Coast FC gets to pick 12 kids out of the draft pool this year! Aww.
15. Fremantle. You can’t expect anything from the Dockers this year. The cleanout of their list will inevitably lead to more and more losses. Instead of being competitive for most games as they were in 2008, they will lose a lot more games in blowout results this year. At least Mark Harvey won’t have to worry about criticisms of his team giving up three-quarter-time leads, as most games will be over by then.
16. Melbourne. Still a rabble, I’m afraid. They will need the priority pick. Their backline shows promise but their forward spine of Michael Newton and Brad Miller is not going to put the fear of God into any AFL team. Their only hope is if Brock McLean has a great year, also-rans like Nathan Jones drag themselves out of mediocrity and their few good players like Brad Green are used by coach Dean Bailey in attacking positions rather than filling holes in the defensive half. Bailey is not an AFL-level coach, unfortunately, and he may have the decision taken out of his hands anyway if the Demons midfield continue getting slaughtered like they did last season.
How about you lot, what are your ladder predictions? Give me your top 8, at least, in the comments.
rowshow
March 24, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Write off sydney at your own peril. Everyone does it every year and they keep producing.
The Fone
March 24, 2009 at 11:37 pm
Sydney’s statistics:
1. Self righteous Wankers
2. Should stick to rugby
3. We’re over the AFL giving you hand-outs because you have the “potential” for the most growth in NSW.
4. Players go to there club to end their careers.
5. Plays the most unattractive style of football ever brought to AFL level. Terrible to watch and unworthy of a flag.
6. There should be a relegation system in which you fall based on the style of football you play.
Oh.. and 7. Collingwood has exposed you for the hopeless football team you are the last 6 times you’ve played.
Thall
March 24, 2009 at 11:45 pm
1 – Geelong
2 – Hawthorn
3 – Carlton
4 – North Melbourne
5 – Port Adelaide
6 – Richmond
7 – St Kilda
8 – Fremantle
And you can quote this ladder at the end of the season when they all come in 😉
Sean24
March 24, 2009 at 11:48 pm
1. Geelong – Easily the best performed team over the past 2 seasons.
2. Hawthorn – Daylight between 2nd & 3rd.
3. Bulldogs – Higgins to be the surprise packet in the midfield.
4. Collingwood – No stars, but quality on every line.
5. Carlton – Another year under the belt for Murphy, Gibbs, Kreuzer and co. can only be a good thing. Fevola to kick 100 and Judd to be back at his best come September.
6. Port Adelaide – Big improvers. Missed Chad Cornes’ creativity in the second half of last year.
7. Richmond – Same as Carlton. Another year for Deledio, Cotchin, Jack Riewoldt. Solid defence will help them sneak into the 8 by a game.
8. St. Kilda – Too much quality to miss out on finals action.
9. North Melbourne – The “Shinboner” spirit can only be called on so many times. Petrie played beyond himself last season and will drop off considerably.
10. Sydney – Will win games they shut down. Easily the most boring team to watch, but they know how to win ugly.
11. Brisbane – The new coach factor will wear off mid-season. Michael Voss = Tim Watson.
12. Adelaide – Too old, too slow. Van Berlo and Porplyzia need to become genuine stars.
13. West Coast – A year for Masten, Ebert, Brown and Naitanui to learn.
14. Fremantle – Pavlich to win games off his own boot. Palmer to become a genuine star.
15. Essendon – Their stars are in freefall and they have no genuine “stars” in the making. Stanton to improve again. Will be interesting to see how Prismall fits in.
16. Melbourne – Young kids still learning. Can’t expect much when your key forwards are Miller and Newton.
Brownlow – G. Ablett
How this bloke didn’t win it last season is beyond me.
Roughie – J. Selwood
The old Cousins/Kerr situation.
Coleman – B. Fevola
Delivery from Judd, Stevens, Murphy and Gibbs. How can he not win it?
NAB Rising Star – S. Hill
Will fit straight into the senior side and stand out in a lowly ranked team.
christy
March 25, 2009 at 7:23 am
monty your off your rocker
richmond mont make the 4
ludicrous
hamish
March 25, 2009 at 11:35 am
bahahahhahahahaha richmond in the top 3, they still wont make the 8 this year the hype about them is all about cousins, cousins isnt gonna lift them from bottom 8 side to top 3 thats for sure
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 11:44 am
with cousins in the side, anything is possible from tigerland, oh we’re from tigerland. we’ll be hearing that song alot this year
hamish
March 25, 2009 at 11:52 am
maybe if you have the cd at home… otherwise i think tiger fans should save the money theyve spent on season tickets towards buying a decent coach
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 1:09 pm
are you been serious, with cousins, foley, raines, richo, brown,bowden they have a real chance.
archibald
March 25, 2009 at 1:13 pm
they have a real chance alright, of making the top 15 maybe. even that isnt guaranteed. and theyre only decent rookie alex rance wont even play this year, although he would start in any other teams 22. terry wallace doesnt know how to blood good youngsters. deledio wouldve won a brownlow by now at any other club
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 1:15 pm
archy, u really no ur footy dont ya. u must be a footy encyclopia that no one has bothered to update because deledio wore the best and fairest medal proudly last year
hamish
March 25, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Andy you didnt even add deledio in that list how much do you know??
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 1:19 pm
there is that many good players on richmonds list, i forgot him….. sorry. oh and archy, i suppose ur favourite backamn for richmond is gaspar hahahahaha
Etihad CEO
March 25, 2009 at 1:20 pm
If Richmond finish in the top 3 on the ladder this year, i will sponsor this website next year. Thats how confident I am on that ludicrous statement.
Regards
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 1:22 pm
that would be good, then the name of the stadium could be change AGAIN to TIGERLAND. its still docklands to me
m0nty
March 25, 2009 at 1:23 pm
Woo, the 2010 Etihad Lethal League! ;D
hamish
March 25, 2009 at 1:23 pm
archibald i agree with you, but Andy i think your a bit too confident of the tiges, youd think they were flag favourites the way your talking. maybe in 5 years. but theyre no Brisbane Lions 01,02,03 like your making them out to be.
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 1:27 pm
nah, flag will go to geelong if they can learn to kick straight unlike last years grand final
hamish
March 25, 2009 at 1:32 pm
actually i think port will be hard to beat this year, theyre a smokie, and could well get to the grand final, we know they are capable after 07, and this time if they face geelong they will be so fired up they would not let anything get in their way
Michael
March 25, 2009 at 1:38 pm
im with hamish, with chad with a good shoulder, the captains curse off of treddas, the burgoyne boys and ladey in good shape they’re a real chance
hamish
March 25, 2009 at 1:41 pm
UP THE POWER! Salopek and Boak to tie for the brownlow!
Michael
March 25, 2009 at 1:44 pm
CARN THE POWER. I’ll be at Footy Park in September for a 3rd time watching the preliminary final as they win their way into a 3rd Grand Final. And this time it WILL be like 2004.
Robert
March 25, 2009 at 1:55 pm
north melbourne will beat port before that happens michael
Michael
March 25, 2009 at 1:57 pm
Are u serious. obviuosly you dont remember the 2007 prelim. I’ll give u a reminder. Treddas and the famous bow
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 2:01 pm
Oh that is a low blow, very very low
The Fone
March 25, 2009 at 2:05 pm
How about we remind you port fans of 2007 grand final instead…
Oh dear…
The Fone
March 25, 2009 at 2:06 pm
loved that banter between Hamish and Andy… i always did enjoy JJJ
Andy
March 25, 2009 at 2:11 pm
i wish i was that andy. then my girlfriend would be megan gale
The Fone
March 25, 2009 at 2:55 pm
In relation to girlfriend matters…
search “Pure Waters” in youtube (a Boags Draft ad)
Cracks me up every time, you will know which bit im referring to.
As a pies supporter i’m confident we will have a crack at the flag over the next 3 years, just don’t think our extensive list of youngsters are upto it it just yet
ryan
March 25, 2009 at 7:38 pm
come on monty did u put richmond 3rd as a joke, are u kidding me, they will struggle to make the 8 let alone top 4.
watch for the big upset for brownlow…Kerr put 20 bucks on him last night
Mpire
March 25, 2009 at 8:02 pm
You’ll see the power coming back and into the top 4. Wont see sydney in there, and essendon for wooden spoons. May see brisbane in the top 8 if there back line improves.
Millsy123
March 25, 2009 at 9:31 pm
Cats
Hawks
Saints
Pies
Dogs
Blues
Tiges
Port
Vics dominate the 8
Matt
March 28, 2009 at 11:14 pm
As usual everyone writes Sydney Swans off. Every year they have done so and the Swans has made the finals every year. I may throw a spanner in the works for my top 8:
Geelong: 2009 champions
Hawthorn: 2009 Runner up
Carlton
Western Bulldogs
Collingwood
Sydney Swans
Adelaide
West Coat Eagles
West Coast will have the biggest improvement from last year and I am having them as a surprise top 8 team. I see Richmond in 9th and just missing out to the Eagles.
Mighty_bombers
May 17, 2009 at 8:32 pm
Once again monty you have showed you know Jack shit about footy
doctorimra
June 16, 2009 at 10:06 am
1.Essendon
2.Melbourne
3.Richmond
4.West Coast
5.Fremantle
6.North Melbourne
7.Port Adelaide
8.Carlton
9.Sydney
10.St.Kilda
11.Adelaide
12.Brisbane Lions
13.Western Bulldogs
14.Hawthorn
15.Geelong
16.COLLINGWOODD
doctorimra
June 16, 2009 at 10:10 am
dont worry, mine will be correct. Melbourne will win every game after essendon.
ESSENDON WINS EVERY GAME FROM ROUND 11 ON.
Dont worry guys, I was rated the best AFL ladder tipper for 2007, and 2008. Its ok, I am a PROFESSIONAL
doctorimra
June 16, 2009 at 10:11 am
Tom Evans
TOMEVANS
June 25, 2009 at 9:57 am
My Ladder Predictions
1. CARLTON
2. Melbourne
3. Fremantle
4. Westcoast
5. Richmond
6. North Melbourne
7. Sydney
8. Essendon
9. Port Adelaide
10. Adelaide
11. Brisbane
12. Hawthorn
13. Western Bulldogs
14. St. Kilda
15. Geelong
16. COLLINGWOOD
Big V
July 30, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Ladder after round 22
1.ST KILDA ( 2009 AFL Premiers)
2.Geelong
3.Collingwood
4.Western Bulldogs
5.Brisbane
6.Carlton
7.Adelaide
8.Hawthorn
9.Essendon
10.Port Adelaide
11.Richmond
12.Sydney
13.North Melbourne
14.West Coast
15.Fremantle
16.Melbourne