Last year the ranking for Hogg Premier League was 5386. The whole goal of the divisional system is to make the Premier League a better league. Three of last year’s bottom four are not in the comp this year and they have been replaced by three coaches who scored very highly in Hogg Division I last season so I expect a strong improvement in the rankings for Hogg Premier in season 2010.
It would be easier to predict who will make the top eight in the AFL Premiership than it would be to select the top eight in Hogg Premier but I reckon I can spot a few teams that might struggle to make the grade in the improved Hogg Premier this season.
Black Magic SCE WA (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 1st)
Reignman will be once again one of the teams to beat in Hogg Premier League this season. The Sandgroper has an uncanny knack of being able to select cash cows and normally has a formidable array of talent in his squad come the pointy end of the season.
REBCats Qld (4th Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 2nd)
My mob have been perennial bridesmaids so I’ll be out to drop my trade burning ways in order to secure the Hogg title for the first time. Without my ‘wingman’ Testaccio SPQR around this year though I might have a tough time making the granny again let alone going one step further. The temptation to load up on Cats is strong but the buggers are just too expensive.
Buddy and the Boys Qld (4th Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 3rd)
Parko’s buddys finally hit their straps in 2009 after two fairly ordinary years in Hogg Premier. Parko, a mad Hawk fan cashed in as Sam Mitchell, Luke Hodge and to a less consistent degree Buddy Franklin racked up the points for him. Parko is conservative in his use of trades to the point of carrying Brad Ottens for nearly the entire season last year. If he’s about the place late look out.
Poon Army Qld (4th Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 4th)
Hammo is normally a strong contender in the Hogg and was the inaugural winner back in 2007. Has a habit of hanging around the top six or seven and then making his move late. A master of picking nuggets such as Paul Duffield last season. I have a sneaking suspicion that he keeps a close eye on my squad so if I start watching his we both go around in circles.
GordonBlues Vic (2nd Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 5th)
Gordy topped the ladder nearly all year long last year but went overseas for a while and the field swooped. That still doesn’t excuse his lamentable straight sets exit in the finals though. Gordy is confident of righting the wrongs of 2009. Think of him as the Hogg Shield’s version of the Western Bulldogs. That doesn’t mean Gordy will be picking up Barry Hall though.
the chardonnays SA (2nd Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 6th)
finn was an unlikely bet to be the top ranked SA coach in the Hogg Shield last year but he had a very impressive debut season in Hogg Premier. Finn’s promotion claims weren’t as strong as Gordy’s last season but he made a very strong start to the year collecting a lot of top scalps along the way. He didn’t finish strongly though so he might be one coach warily watching out for some of the highly credentialed newcomers that have been promoted this year.
FOOTYLEDGENS Qld (4th Season in Hogg Premier, Last year 7th)
Cubby had his worst season in Hogg Premier last year so this year could present a challenge. For those of you who don’t know Cub is REB Jnr and while I do provide advice, Cubby rarely listens. This means he comes up with some sensational picks out of left field that other teams don’t have. He was on Matty Boyd really early last year and Cub can be a difficult match up because his side doesn’t have the ‘same old’ players. If he gets on his beloved Demons youngsters then anything can happen with this team.
Mr Football SA (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, last year 8th)
Pup turned out to be the Hogg’s version of Hawthorn, having a season to forget in 2009 after winning the 2008 Hogg title. A proven point scorer, the Pup will need to rebound strongly in a field that is looking like the strongest Hogg Shield field yet. Pup needs to rebound just to hold his spot in the eight, let alone rise to 2008 levels, although I think he can do this.
DunKsKrew SA (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, last year 9th)
A top four side back in 2007, Duncs’ return to Hogg action didn’t provide the expected results for him. He was in contention for the majority of the year but was overtaken by the Cub and eventually lost a top eight spot that looked there for the taking. I fancy other runners in this field and it could be a tough year for the Krew this season.
Hawkeye Qld (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, last year 10th)
Woggy had a pretty ordinary year last year (still managed to beat me though grumble grumble) and gave up his top eight spot from 2008. Another Hawk fan look for Hawkeye to include blokes like Mitchell, Franklin and Hodge. It’s always interesting when Hawkeye matches up against Buddy and the Boys because of the Hawk factor. Woggy will need to lift his game to get back amongst the finals action this year.
The Ginger Ninjas SA (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, last year 11th)
I reckon this guy is the smartest of the Hogg Shield coaches but in a Gordonesque move he is off to the UK for nine weeks or so this season. As a result, I reckon that Gingernuts is a fair chance of seeing Division I action in 2011. However, playing him late in the year when he’ll have heaps of trades up his sleeve could be a problem for top eight sides jockeying for position. Any coach who plays him midseason will be looking at a rare trade free win.
Boxheads Best SA (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, last year 12th)
The Real Number 3 escaped the relegation zone by the skin of his teeth last season and could be in a similar dogfight again this year. The Boxheads are normally fairly strong in the first six weeks of the year but have a propensity to fade later on. A tough year looms.
Juddernaut SA (3rd Season in Hogg Premier, last year 13th)
As the sole survivor of the 2009 relegation zone teams, SBJAC’s Juddernaut faces a significant challenge of retaining his Hogg Premier status at the end of this season. Based on previous efforts the Juddernaut might struggle in this company and SBJAC will need a season out of the box to avoid appearing in the relegation zone for the second straight season.
Squeakeroos_DTF Vic (1st Season in Hogg Premier, last year 1st in Hogg Division I)
The Squeakeroos were a surprise winner of Division I last season and a team that had a very high ranking in SuperCoach. If jerry kewell (his AFL Online name) can reproduce the form of last year then he looks to be a top four coach this season. The presence of the Squeakeroos makes Hogg Premier a much tougher league this season.
Darcy_DTF WA (1st Season in Hogg Premier, last year 2nd in Hogg Division I)
Darcy, a confident young West Aussie from AFL Online seemed to have Division I for the taking last year but dropped two finals to the Squeakeroos so a bit of a grudge match will be coming up already for this season. Darcy prepares his side well and is another coach who will have strong top four claims based on last season’s results. One to watch.
Quichey SA (1st Season in Hogg Premier, last year 3rd in Hogg Division I)
The Q Man got a last minute promotion to Hogg Shield but he certainly has the credentials to make a strong showing in the league. Like Darcy and Squeaky, he’ll find the going much tougher in Hogg Premier but Q Man will give the top four a shake and is a genuine top eight candidate.
Might have to get Dutchy or mal to frame some odds
.regards,
REB
