Top 8 2007

[JK]

Nup, always like to throw in (or out) a roughie ... Reakon they'll seriously struggle up forward and are brittle in ruck and for pace.

Think a bit of a slide for them is inevitable and figure it will commence in one form or another this year.

[Adelaide Hawk]

It all depends on injuries. Any club who is untouched by injuries to key players will make the eight. If West Coast lost 3-4 key players to long term injuries they would struggle to make the eight. There is not a lot of difference in any of the 16 clubs in terms of depth. Where clubs vary is in the quality of their best 6-8 players.

I can't really see dramtic changes in any of the 16 teams this year, so the top 8 could be very close to 2006. Some clubs will xlide a little, others will improve a little, but I can't see any dramatic rise or fall for anyone, unless injury takes its toll.

Given all things equal, my guess for the top 8 (in no particular order) would be:

St.Kilda
West Coast
Fremantle
Melbourne
Sydney
Western Bulldogs

Adelaide
Collingwood
Richmond

Hawthorn
Geelong
Port Adelaide
Carlton
Essendon
Kangaroos
Brisbane Lions

I think the first 6 should make it, the next 3 will compete for spots 7 and 8, and the rest are possibly not good enough at this stage.

[am Bays]

Nup, always like to throw in (or out) a roughie ... Reakon they'll seriously struggle up forward and are brittle in ruck and for pace.

Think a bit of a slide for them is inevitable and figure it will commence in one form or another this year.

Are you saying the window has closed for the Crows CP???

[JK]

No, I'm saying it's 10 past 12

[wal65]

1. West Coast: Best midfield in the business. Better than Brisbane midfield in early 2000's because they have a ruckman who dominates games. Would be even scarier with a decent forward line.
2. Fremantle: Tarrant the key. Could be the icing on the cake for them.
3. Sydney: Hardest team in the league to beat and possibly the best coached as well.
4. Adelaide: Last chance before the slide starts. Rucks a problem if Hudson goes down. Will win most games at home and will win enough games away to probably get top 4.
5. Melbourne: Probably the best Victorian team. Good forward setup and midfield. Defence is a problem but there are plenty of weak teams in Melbourne to beat
6. Geelong: SHOULD BE THE BEST VICTORIAN TEAM!!!!! Fear of not playing AFL in 2008 should drive most of players to make up for the crap we saw last year. Sleepy Hollow will be a warzone if that happens again.
7. Richmond: Seem to climb a bit higher every year. Coughlan will be a big loss though. Should do enough to scrape in.
8. Bulldogs: Not convinced they are that good. 5 blokes back from knee recons. Takes about 18 months to get over them (9 months physically and 9 months mentally). Darcy has had to have 2 of them. Lost the surprise factor they had on other teams last year. Aker will probably do something to upset them.
9. St Kilda: Few players on their last legs and other players cant stay on the park. St Nick still upset over Thomas's sacking. G-train not sure what he wants to do. Saying all that, they will probably make it but 9 doesnt fit into 8.
10. Collingwood: Will probably start with a bang and then fall away. Put your best defenders on Rocca and Buckley and the rest wont kick goals. Didak's return will come too late.
11. Hawthorn: Getting there but still too inconsistent. A bit like Richmond.
12. Port: See Hawthorn. Start slow, have a good patch midseason, fall away at the end. Season hinges on Tredder's knee and THE CHAD!!!
13. Essendon: Lloyd trying to kick goals. Fletcher is trying to stop them. Hird is stuffed but will play an odd blinder to remind everyone how good he was. Mal Michael has lost the plot. Sheedy will say something to take the focus off his team not performing. The others are making up the numbers.
14. Carlton: Should benefit a bit from 2 First draft picks in the midfield. Fev will kick a few but who's going to stop them at the other end.
15. Brisbane: Will win an odd game in Brisbane but won't want to get on a plane anywhere. Simon Black to Freo at the end of the year.
16. Kangaroos: Will enjoy the sun and surf on the Gold Coast more than the footy this year. Laidley to be first coach sacked.

[dinglinga]

well the minor season has finished and have a look at your selections......

[JK]

Any order ..

West Coast
Sydney
Fremantle
Melbourne (although it is an odd year)
Collingwood
Port
St Kilda
Geelong

Not too disappointed with these predictions, on the downside Freo and the Saints missed out but were in the running for most of the season, and Melbourne, lol, well no excuses there.

On the upside I don't think too too many had Collingwood, Port and the Cats in their 8, and the Crows whom I left out only just snuck in, how everyone else fare?