Predictions - and discussion - in lead up to 2014 season..

[White Line Fever]

Can win the flag :
Hawthorn
Fremantle
Sydney

Making up the rest of the 8 from (one or two might be unlucky with injury/form) :
Geelong
Port
Richmond
Adelaide
North
Collingwood
Carlton

Unlikely to play finals (one might get lucky):
Essendon
West Coast
Gold Coast
Bulldogs

Making up the numbers:
Brisbane
St Kilda
Melbourne
GWS

All in no particular order.

This is how I see it too.

[bennymacca]

north melbourne are definitely the smokey for the top 4. they lost so many close games last year, and even if they only won half of them they would have sat comfortably in the eight.

[Booney]

north melbourne are definitely the smokey for the top 4. they lost so many close games last year, and even if they only won half of them they would have sat comfortably in the eight.

But they didn't and I don't rate them. I expect them to be 7th-10th.

[Footy Smart]

north melbourne are definitely the smokey for the top 4. they lost so many close games last year, and even if they only won half of them they would have sat comfortably in the eight.

But they didn't and I don't rate them. I expect them to be 7th-10th.

Yep im with you Booney, i cant understand peoples hype about them. Good capable side definately, but not top 6 material IMO.

[bennymacca]

i think booney's list is pretty good above, but who is the team most likely to take 4th spot do you think?

geelong again? surely they are starting to get too old, and their kids just arent ready to do all the heavy lifting yet. i still dont know how they managed to blood all of them whilst being so good still. if stevie j and selwood pump out similar years they will be around the mark, and hawkins was down last year too.

richmond? too hot and cold for mine, can come out and smash hawthorn by 10 goals but still cant beat the gold coast. still rely on riewoldt too much even though they wouldnt like to admit it. and cotchin still goes missing.

port or crows? i actually think they have pretty similar list profiles, pretty hard to split them in terms of quality. if either team have a good run with injuries and form they could get to top 4. port's tougher draw this year will really test them out and will probably mean they cant make the top four. crows will have to get lucky with injuries, if danger or jacobs or tex go down we are nowhere near a top 4 team, as shown last year, but with everyone fit and firing, and with some of the best young midfielders in the comp it is possible but unlikely.

collingwood and carlton both seem to be going backwards, all of their best players are older which is never a good sign. collingwood's kids seem good but not ready to go yet.

north, i still think are a smokey. all of their best players with the exception of petrie and harvey are younger, which is always good, but they relied on harvey too much last year still.

essendon, without the burden of last year, assuming this whole drugs thing goes away which it might not have yet, will be around the mark, crameri gone will hurt them a lot though.

[Wedgie]

In the games I watched North Melbourne were probably the best side I saw, should have smashed us twice. But to be top 4 you need pretty good consistency so I'm expecting them to make the top 8, top 4 would depend on consistency. Injuries, etc will make a big difference too.

[Squids]

They look like superstars when playing against the swill.

[JK]

1. Sydney
2. Fremantle
3. Hawthorn
4. North
5. Collingwood
6. Essendon
7. Port
8. Geelong

9. Richmond
10. Adelaide
11. Gold Coast
12. Carlton
13. West Coast
14. Bulldogs
15. Brisbane
16. St Kilda
17. Melbourne
18. GWS

GF: Sydney v Fremantle
Coleman: Roughead
Brownlow: Mitchell

[Turbo]

They look like superstars when playing against the swill.

Flat track bullies??

[Spargo]

They look like superstars when playing against the swill.

Flat track bullies??

Nice tag team turbo.

[Turbo]

They look like superstars when playing against the swill.

Flat track bullies??

Nice tag team turbo.

Ha ha. That's ok

[stan]

In the games I watched North Melbourne were probably the best side I saw, should have smashed us twice. But to be top 4 you need pretty good consistency so I'm expecting them to make the top 8, top 4 would depend on consistency. Injuries, etc will make a big difference too.

Have the same feeling about North. Capable of so much but know how to lose games when it matters.

[GWW]

How long til Brad Scott faces some decent scrutiny?

[bennymacca]

In the games I watched North Melbourne were probably the best side I saw, should have smashed us twice. But to be top 4 you need pretty good consistency so I'm expecting them to make the top 8, top 4 would depend on consistency. Injuries, etc will make a big difference too.

Have the same feeling about North. Capable of so much but know how to lose games when it matters.

it will definitely go one of two ways this year - everything will click and they will become a top four side, or they will keep up their inconsistent performances and scott might be under the pump a bit

[Spargo]

How long til Brad Scott faces some decent scrutiny?

In January?

[GWW]

I reckon if he coached a club with a bigger profile, the scrutiny would be a bit more intense.

I guess we'll see this season if he can coach. He has a decent squad, but if the trend of losses while they arein front continues, it will probably mean its him thats a significant part of the issue.

[Baron Greenback]

I don't really understand the lack of confidence in Brisbane this season.
Yeah they lost a few players, but only Yeo was consistently in the team. Longer, Polec, Docherty and Karnezis
The Lions were a kick away from playing finals last year.
If they'd beaten Geelong in that final game and Port had won (both games under a goal), they would've been in the 8.
I think Leppitsch will be a better coach than Voss and young guys like Rockliff (who will finally be played in the middle all year), Redden, Rich, Hanley, Golby, Harwood, Mayes, Green and Zorko will only get better.

I'm not saying they're going to make the 8 - they may or may not - but they certainly won't be in the bottom 4-5 like everyone's predicting barring a horror run with injury.
The key will be finding someone to help Brown out. Good to see the big fella will be given a rest at full forward this year. Should've happened years ago.

[Spargo]

I reckon if he coached a club with a bigger profile, the scrutiny would be a bit more intense.

I guess we'll see this season if he can coach. He has a decent squad, but if the trend of losses while they arein front continues, it will probably mean its him thats a significant part of the issue.

Last year we apparently had the toughest draw (according to champion data), this year it would be one of the more easier ones.
Agreed, if we have 6-7 losses by a kick again (even 3-4) then the blowtorch may be applied.
However he had his contract renewed less than a year ago, until the end of the 2016 season and whilst coaches do get sacked mid contract, we don't have the coin to be paying people out.
The squad, apart from Harvey, Petrie & Firrito is stil pretty young. I don't think we will peak until next year or even the following.
Making the major round this year is expected - as should be winning finals.

[Booney]

I don't really understand the lack of confidence in Brisbane this season.
Yeah they lost a few players, but only Yeo was consistently in the team. Longer, Polec, Docherty and Karnezis
The Lions were a kick away from playing finals last year.
If they'd beaten Geelong in that final game and Port had won (both games under a goal), they would've been in the 8.
I think Leppitsch will be a better coach than Voss and young guys like Rockliff (who will finally be played in the middle all year), Redden, Rich, Hanley, Golby, Harwood, Mayes, Green and Zorko will only get better.

I'm not saying they're going to make the 8 - they may or may not - but they certainly won't be in the bottom 4-5 like everyone's predicting barring a horror run with injury.
The key will be finding someone to help Brown out. Good to see the big fella will be given a rest at full forward this year. Should've happened years ago.

Brown will need more than just some help. To be honest, I think him going around again reflects the lack of confidence the list managers have in the key forwards on the list. We all love Browny, but the game has gone past him and you will need some serious support for him to be any chance this year.

[Baron Greenback]

We kicked plenty of goals this year without him dominating.

The recruiters have gone after some mature players - not a tactic I agree with - like McGuane, West and Paine.
That's to add to Martin and Lisle picked up in previous years.
Hopefully one of them actually steps up this year.
I don't have a lot of faith in these guys, but we seem to manage to kick goals without a huge target.