2014 ladder predictions

[Mat0369]

Because you're wrong? Nic Nat alone was not the reason we didn't make the 8.

Hurn, Waters, Kerr, Shuey, Scooter, Wellingham, Schofield, Lecras...

I have missed some, need I go on though?

Kerr just retired, Schofield was dropped multiple times with either form issues or team balance, relying on Waters to stay fit is like Carlton relying on Waite to stay fit, it just won't happen, LeCras was also out of form most of the season when he did play, but we can put that down to him breaking the arm early, still he is injury prone which doesn't help. Hurn was/is a big loss as were Selwood Masten (for the few games he missed) and Shuey but the Eagles choked multiple games and were horrible before they got injured. Unless guys like Gaff and Shuey can learn to break a tag West Coast won't be good enough to make the 8. Your key defenders are really good, small defenders not so much so you are hoping Yeo can improve that, tall forwards are good but they still lack any form of a crumbing forward (LeCras and Hill are good overhead but aren't super when it hits the ground) and they are relying on to much from the same guys in the midfield.


If Nic Nat is healthy all year they can push for the 8 simply because he forces a huge headache in terms of matching up with him and he can make the mids around him look better with his tap work while giving Cox a chop out, but the guns in Cox and Glass are ageing, the vets that were a key part in their surge up the ladder in Kerr, Selwood and Embley are retired and the young guys didn't do enough to show that they can step in to fill the void. Also throw in the fact they struggled to win at home last season which was supposed to be a fortress, a couple of teams having a big off-season (North and Adelaide to an extent) and the natural improvement that you would expect from young teams like the Suns and Power around them they could very well finish outside the 8 and as low as 13.

Then again with the way injuries occur teams only need a couple of key injuries to destroy a season which is why it is still to early to predict anything at this point.

Plus for all the Eagles supporters getting pissed that people are 'underrating' your team, most people have been posting Port outside the 8 and they actually won a final last season......

[Mailman the 2nd]

Port won a final after being mediorce for 3 years, WC dropped out after 2 years of being top 4, its perfectly understandable why WC is underrated and Power is where they are

[Mat0369]

And a lot of the guys that were so key to get WC to finals are either on the downside or have retired and the guys that got Port to finals last season are young and either starting to hit their prime or are still not there yet. Boak, Wingard, Ebert, Wines, Gray, Monfries, Lobbe, Trengove, Pittard, Broadbent and even the often criticized Hoff stood up late in the season. 

I seriously doubted Port at times last season, especially after they lost to the Dogs in Darwin, but they managed to smash both Collingwood and Sydney to get their season on track, finished top 8, traveled to Melbourne, beat Collingwood again, took it up to Geelong and lead for a chunk of the game before running out of legs.

Unless they get a couple of key injuries to Wingard and Boak, Port are being seriously underrated right now.

[The_Captain]

Fre
Haw
Syd
Gee
Rich
Kang
Wce
Coll
Ess
Port
Carl
GC
Ade
Bris
Bull
Stk
Mel
Gws

Worth a guess. So many things can happen.

[Spinking]

1. Hawthorn
2. Fremantle
3. Sydney
4. Essendon
5. Geelong
6. Richmond
7. Kangaroos
8. West Coast
------
9. Carlton
10. Collingwood
11. Gold Coast
12. Adelaide
13. Port Adelaide
14. Western Bulldogs
15. Brisbane
16. Melbourne
17. GWS
18. St Kilda

[T Dog]

1. Fremantle
2. Collingwood
3. Hawthorn
4. Sydney
5. Geelong
6. Port Adelaide
7. West Coast
8. Kangaroos
--------------------------
9. Richmond
10. Adelaide
11. Essendon
12. Carlton
13. Gold Coast
14. Western Bulldogs
15. Brisbane
16. GWS
17. St Kilda
18. Melbourne

[elephants]

Because you're wrong? Nic Nat alone was not the reason we didn't make the 8.

Hurn, Waters, Kerr, Shuey, Scooter, Wellingham, Schofield, Lecras...

I have missed some, need I go on though?

Kerr just retired, Schofield was dropped multiple times with either form issues or team balance, relying on Waters to stay fit is like Carlton relying on Waite to stay fit, it just won't happen, LeCras was also out of form most of the season when he did play, but we can put that down to him breaking the arm early, still he is injury prone which doesn't help. Hurn was/is a big loss as were Selwood Masten (for the few games he missed) and Shuey but the Eagles choked multiple games and were horrible before they got injured. Unless guys like Gaff and Shuey can learn to break a tag West Coast won't be good enough to make the 8. Your key defenders are really good, small defenders not so much so you are hoping Yeo can improve that, tall forwards are good but they still lack any form of a crumbing forward (LeCras and Hill are good overhead but aren't super when it hits the ground) and they are relying on to much from the same guys in the midfield.


If Nic Nat is healthy all year they can push for the 8 simply because he forces a huge headache in terms of matching up with him and he can make the mids around him look better with his tap work while giving Cox a chop out, but the guns in Cox and Glass are ageing, the vets that were a key part in their surge up the ladder in Kerr, Selwood and Embley are retired and the young guys didn't do enough to show that they can step in to fill the void. Also throw in the fact they struggled to win at home last season which was supposed to be a fortress, a couple of teams having a big off-season (North and Adelaide to an extent) and the natural improvement that you would expect from young teams like the Suns and Power around them they could very well finish outside the 8 and as low as 13.

Then again with the way injuries occur teams only need a couple of key injuries to destroy a season which is why it is still to early to predict anything at this point.

Plus for all the Eagles supporters getting pissed that people are 'underrating' your team, most people have been posting Port outside the 8 and they actually won a final last season......

"Kerr just retired" ... Ummm so? He took the #1 tag, shielding our young players like Gaffy and Shuey from it. He's a class player and would still be in if it weren't for his aging body.

Waters doesn't need to play every game, but more than 6 would be preferable. Plus this point is irrelevant, he's easily a best 22 player and was injured last season, hence we suffered.

Lecca injury prone? Missed games this season with two freak injuries (broken arm and broken ribs) and obviously did his ACL in 2012 but before that he played 61 of a possible 66 games!? Seems pretty durable to me!

And no. We had injuries all season. We choked at times but provided we had key players fit, they're games we would have won.

Ahh Gaffy, also known as 'The Easy Target'. Might remind you blokes that the kid is 20/21 and suddenly expected to be breaking tags? Please. And Shuey is in a similar boat. Older but very injury prone so in footy terms he's pretty similar. It'll come with time, not many third year players can smash tags though.

Waters and Butler are actually pretty damn good small defenders and dont be shocked to see Yeo on a wing next season ;) And much of the same through the midfield? Oh, you mean another pre-season into guys like Wellingham, Masten, Scooter, Hutchings, Gaffy and Shuey... Ahh ok.

Embers and Selwood were both extremely questionable picks in our best team prior to round 1 this season. The fact we were smashed by injuries meant we had to play them and when they themselves got injured we had to play guys like Carter and Wilson. In other words, the depth of the depth.

Oh and dont worry mate, I dont care too much where anyone rates us. Just thought it was extremely interesting to see us so low down the ladder when we have such a plethora of quality coming back in off extended pre-seasons. What gets under my paintwork through is when people judge last season without placing the appropriate amount of emphasis on our enormous injury toll.

Thankyou and goodnight 8)

[GoLions]

Fre
Haw
Syd
Gee
Rich
Kang
Wce
Coll
Ess
Port
Carl
GC
Ade
Bris
Bull
Stk
Mel
Gws

Worth a guess. So many things can happen.

Switch eagles with carlton, and that's about what I'd be thinking (with a few minor changes, but eh)

[Jay]

I will bet you $3000 that Adelaide will finish above the Bulldogs kb ;)

+1

[T Dog]

C'mon...West coast,Kangas and Port on the up, Hawks, Cats and Swans will slide due to changes not being settled, Freeo and Pies will top out, GWS will improve slightly with the older recruits, Tiges,Suns and Blues no obvious improvement, and who knows whats happening above the shoulders for the bombers, demons and saints..Bullies just may be the big surprise packet 8)

[TeeJay]

C'mon...West coast,Kangas and Port on the up, Hawks, Cats and Swans will slide due to changes not being settled, Freeo and Pies will top out, GWS will improve slightly with the older recruits, Tiges,Suns and Blues no obvious improvement, and who knows whats happening above the shoulders for the bombers, demons and saints..Bullies just may be the big surprise packet 8)

One eyed magpie? lol. There's no way collingwood will finish 2nd. Their list is in a worse position this year than it has been for a fair while imo

[T Dog]

C'mon...West coast,Kangas and Port on the up, Hawks, Cats and Swans will slide due to changes not being settled, Freeo and Pies will top out, GWS will improve slightly with the older recruits, Tiges,Suns and Blues no obvious improvement, and who knows whats happening above the shoulders for the bombers, demons and saints..Bullies just may be the big surprise packet 8)

One eyed magpie? lol. There's no way collingwood will finish 2nd. Their list is in a worse position this year than it has been for a fair while imo

?Only one eye?... 8)

[Vinny]

I have no doubt that the Bulldogs will improve, can see them ahead of GWS, Saints, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane, Gold Coast even!

[TeeJay]

Who wants a history lesson? Everyone? Good.

2003 - Finished last and lost Nathan Brown to Richmond for Rawlings and Ray (spuds)
Fast forward to 2007 - finished 4th last, still hanging around the bottom of the ladder but with good kids (Cooney, Griff, Higgo)
2008 - Finished 3rd and played in a prelim

Libba, Dahlhaus, Wallis, Stringer and Macrae look like good kids...

So lock the dogs in for 3rd?

[Vinny]

I can't even handle how funny this guy is, everyone please. Acknowledge his comedy genius. ^