SuperFooty team gives their predictions for remainder of 2018 and reflects on their bad calls
THE Bombers and Crows were hoping to challenge for a premiership while the Dogs and Saints were shooting for the top 8. All four will likely miss the eight but who is 2018’s biggest disappointment?
THERE’S just three weeks until the AFL finals and our expert footy team are going out on a limb … again.
They might not have got all their pre-season predictions right — which they’re ‘fessing up to here — but on the eve of September, they’re having another crack.
Who will we see in September, where will Tom Lynch be playing next year and can the Tigers be stopped? They’re just some of the questions they try to answer as we make the run to the finals.
TOO HONEST: HAS BUCKS COST PIES TOM LYNCH?
MEDIOCRE: CATS CAN’T USE INJURY EXCUSE
‘PEDESTRIAN’: THOMMO WHACKS SORRY SAINTS
Scroll down to see all their answers as our team takes another stab at nailing 2018.
WHO MAKES THE EIGHT FROM HERE, AND WHO MISSES OUT?
Mark Robinson: Geelong in for Port Adelaide.
Jon Anderson: I don’t think the eight will change.
Eliza Sewell: Geelong come in at the expense of Port Adelaide or Sydney
Glenn McFarlane: Geelong to sneak in; Port Adelaide to miss out, cursing that Josh Jenkins goal (was it a poster?) and that Jeremy McGovern after-the-siren kick.
Neil Cordy: One change, Geelong will win their last two and come in at Port’s expense who will be shattered after consecutive heartbreaking losses.
Michelangelo Rucci: Geelong comes in, Melbourne and Sydney survive, Port drops out.
Scott Gullan: Geelong in, Port Adelaide out.
Chris Cavanagh: Geelong will make it with a favourable final two games at home. Think Port Adelaide will drop out and make way for them.
Gilbert Gardiner: Geelong gets in at Port Adelaide’s expense.
Lauren Wood: Geelong make it, but think Sydney could miss out on percentage. Port should just sneak in.
Michael Warner: Eight won’t change. Geelong will win both games but miss out on percentage to Melbourne. North to miss as well.
Sam Edmund: So much hinges on Port v Collingwood. If the Power win, the Cats look cooked even if they win both. Melbourne could still miss out, even with its huge percentage, given the quality of its opposition in the last fortnight.
Jon Ralph: Geelong sneaks in because of its GMHBA fortress, with Collingwood beating Port Adelaide at the MCG this week and falling out of contention. That’s the only change, with Melbourne beating West Coast this weekend to frank its spot.
IF RICHMOND DOESN’T WIN THE PREMIERSHIP, WHO DOES?
Mark Robinson: GWS.
Jon Anderson: GWS are the best equipped but each week they cop another vital injury or two.
Eliza Sewell: Their VFL team (I stole that joke of Mick Warner, but agree with the sentiment)
Glenn McFarlane: Greater Western Sydney … if they can still field a team. You could almost say the same thing for West Coast and Collingwood.
Neil Cordy: GWS, they have the deepest midfield in the competition and a fit Jeremy Cameron who missed last year. They have injuries but the aren’t as big as West Coast’s loss of Naitanui and Gaff.
Michelangelo Rucci: West Coast.
Scott Gullan: Collingwood.
Chris Cavanagh: It’s a raffle. Depends who can stay fit and build some momentum. Collingwood is probably best placed right now.
Gilbert Gardiner: Might need to do a few Hail Marys to lift the injury curse, but GWS can go very deep into September.
Lauren Wood: GWS.
Michael Warner: Despite the loss of key players, GWS and West Coast have enough weapons to make a run.
Sam Edmund: Would love to see GWS at full strength, but still believe they have the weapons to trouble Richmond at any venue.
Jon Ralph: Richmond wins the premiership. And the next one too … No, only joking. Hawthorn has the personnel, the defensive intent, the coach to beat them. They are catching fire at just the time to win a flag.
WHAT 2018 PREDICTION WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVISIT?
Mark Robinson: Adelaide would make the GF.
Jon Anderson: I should have paid Richmond far more respect.
Eliza Sewell: Adelaide for the flag. Was I stupid not to see the Crows’ 2018 season coming?
Glenn McFarlane: Fair to say my pre-season prediction of West Coast sliding out of contention hasn’t aged well.
Neil Cordy: North Melbourne probably won’t make finals but to be in the race right to the end is way more than I expected and predicted.
Michelangelo Rucci: Crows to rebound from their Grand Final loss.
Scott Gullan: Having Western Bulldogs third and Adelaide fourth may have been a tad off the mark.
Chris Cavanagh: I tipped Geelong for the flag, but they might not even make finals.
Gilbert Gardiner: Not Robinson Crusoe, but North Melbourne to win the wooden spoon.
Lauren Wood: Said in the 2018 pre-season footy mag that Richmond would make the eight but not the top four. How wrong I was. They have been so far ahead of the rest of the competition it’s not funny.
Michael Warner: Dogs to rebound.
Sam Edmund: I had Adelaide finishing second, but gee, who could have predicted that implosion?
Jon Ralph: I thought Carlton had to be better this year, but injuries have ravaged them. Good sides can absorb injuries, but they just haven’t had the cattle to compete.
WHO WOULD YOU RATHER BE, CHRIS OR BRAD SCOTT?
Mark Robinson: Brad because he’s a big chance to coach Polec, Gaff and Josh Kelly within 18 months.
Jon Anderson: Brad Scott, because the level of pre-season expectation was far greater about Geelong.
Eliza Sewell: Chris. At least he’s bayside.
Glenn McFarlane: Chris. Whatever happens from here, he’s still an AFL premiership coach.
Neil Cordy: Chris. Geelong will be playing finals.
Michelangelo Rucci: Chris.
Scott Gullan: Chris.
Chris Cavanagh: Chris. Think the Cats win their last two, which puts him through to a seventh finals series in eight years in charge.
Gilbert Gardiner: Grew up wanting to play for North Melbourne so given that ain’t happening, might as well coach the club.
Lauren Wood: Chris. Just imagine having the likes of Patrick Dangerfield, Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood and Tom Hawkins — and don’t forget Tim Kelly — at your disposal.
Michael Warner: Chris was channelling Lethal when he said a lot would have to go right for the Tigers, but so far his team hasn’t matched the goading.
Sam Edmund: Chris. There’s too much talent there. They shouldn’t be in danger of missing finals.
Jon Ralph: Chris. Only because he has debuted 15 players in the last two years, so even if they don’t win a flag, they have stockpiled enough kids to build again in coming years.
I can’t see them having to complete a full rebuild in coming years.
WHO WINS THE COLEMAN AND RISING STAR?
Mark Robinson: Ben Brown and Tom Doedee.
Jon Anderson: Jack Riewoldt and Jaidyn Stephenson.
Eliza Sewell: Jack Riewoldt and Jaidyn Stephenson.
Glenn McFarlane: Jack Riewoldt, Jaidyn Stephenson.
Neil Cordy: Jack Riewoldt, will kick another bag in Round 23 against the Bulldogs. Jaidyn Stephenson to win the Rising Star from Ben Ronke.
Michelangelo Rucci: Tom Hawkins and Jaidyn Stephenson.
Scott Gullan: Tom Hawkins and Jaidyn Stephenson.
Chris Cavanagh: Jack Riewoldt for the Coleman, Jaidyn Stephenson the Rising Star.
Gilbert Gardiner: Ben Brown and Jaidyn Stephenson.
Lauren Wood: Jack Riewoldt and Jaidyn Stephenson.
Michael Warner: Jack Riewoldt (just) and Jaidyn Stephenson (easily).
Sam Edmund: Jack Riewoldt. Ben Brown came out of his funk on the weekend, but history says he struggles to kick goals against Adelaide and St Kilda — the sides North Melbourne face in the final fortnight.
Jon Ralph: Jack Riewoldt will win his third Coleman Medal and finish his career as one of the modern game’s great forwards. Jaidyn Stephenson wins the Rising Star and one day might win a Brownlow playing as a pure midfielder who can push forward to kick 30 goals a season.
WHO IS THE BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT OF 2018?
Mark Robinson: St Kilda.
Jon Anderson: Adelaide, because they have gone from Grand Finalist to 10th or 11th.
Eliza Sewell: St Kilda. We can’t even blame Seaford anymore.
Glenn McFarlane: St Kilda. Such a disappointing season in so many ways. Stand by for the changes.
Neil Cordy: Carlton, they look so far off the pace it’s frightening.
Michelangelo Rucci: Adelaide.
Scott Gullan: Western Bulldogs.
Chris Cavanagh: Adelaide. Minor premiers and Grand Finalists last year, missing finals this year.
Gilbert Gardiner: Essendon just ahead of Geelong. Both went big at the trade table and have yet to reap the rewards.
Lauren Wood: Adelaide. Injuries, off-field stories dominating … it hasn’t been their year.
Michael Warner: Hard to believe St Kilda are now sicker than lowly Carlton.
Sam Edmund: The Crows. Going from Grand Finallist to 12th is a disaster no matter what way you cut it.
Jon Ralph: Taylor Walker.
WHERE WILL TOM LYNCH PLAY NEXT YEAR?
Mark Robinson: Richmond.
Jon Anderson: Richmond and why wouldn’t he?
Eliza Sewell: Tigers, because they need a leg up.
Glenn McFarlane: Full forward … probably for Richmond.
Neil Cordy: Richmond. Why wouldn’t you go to the premiers?
Michelangelo Rucci: Richmond
Scott Gullan: Collingwood.
Chris Cavanagh: Richmond. Will be some combination alongside Jack Riewoldt.
Gilbert Gardiner: Collingwood list manager Ned Guy wouldn’t be jumping over back fences if the Magpies weren’t close to — if not in — position 1A for Lynch’s services.
Lauren Wood: Richmond
Michael Warner: Full-forward.
Sam Edmund: Always said Collingwood. I’m now saying Richmond.
Jon Ralph: Collingwood.
WHICH LIST MANAGER HAS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE — CARLTON, ST KILDA OR GOLD COAST?
Mark Robinson: Carlton.
Jon Anderson: Can it be a triple dead heat? I’ll go for Gold Coast because of the difficulty of attracting players.
Eliza Sewell: St Kilda. Especially when Hanners and Daniel Menzel arrive on “multi-year” deals, as has been reported.
Glenn McFarlane: Gold Coast. All three clubs have such a long way to claw back, but when half the draftees and most of the free agents don’t want to shift to the Gold Coast, it makes it next to impossible.
Neil Cordy: Carlton has been rebuilding for years and getting nowhere.
Michelangelo Rucci: Gold Coast.
Scott Gullan: Gold Coast.
Chris Cavanagh: Carlton. Some good top-end talent but appears the list still needs a bit of turnover.
Gilbert Gardiner: Carlton has already done the hard yards and should come good eventually, while the AFL will do everything in its power to help Gold Coast rebuild … that leaves St Kilda in a perilous position and desperate to snap the AFL’s second-longest premiership drought. At least Richmond and Collingwood had a core group of A-grade talent to build around, the same can’t be said about the Saints right now.
Lauren Wood: Gold Coast
Michael Warner: Agree with Grant Thomas, emergency concessions for the Bad News Suns should be followed by the immediate resignations of all senior AFL executives responsible for footy’s $200m disaster club.
Sam Edmund: You’d say Carlton, but even if the Suns are deemed to have a better list, they are constantly bailing water out of the boat fighting the go-home factor. As if it wasn’t hard enough.
Jon Ralph: Gold Coast. By panels …
WHO MOST DESERVES A SLICE OF SEPTEMBER SUCCESS?
Mark Robinson: Melbourne.
Jon Anderson: Collingwood given their injuries.
Eliza Sewell: Melbourne’s game analyst Craig Jennings, the bloke who introduced himself, and “Melbourne footy”, at the presser following the Demons’ AFLX triumph. Goody’s secret weapon.
Glenn McFarlane: Collingwood. The Pies haven’t played finals since 2013, and have had to deal with a woeful injury list. Some reward for effort will come with a finals appearance.
Neil Cordy: GWS. Every player bar Jeremy Cameron has stayed for less than market value, plus they have had two seasons of horror injuries but stayed competitive.
Michelangelo Rucci: Richmond — they have earned it.
Scott Gullan: Jayden Short.
Chris Cavanagh: Melbourne. One of footy’s founding clubs has been down for too long, having missed finals the past 11 years.
Gilbert Gardiner: Nathan Buckley survived enormous scrutiny but has helped Collingwood turn the corner despite a heinous injury toll. With luck, the Pies could get on a roll in September.
Lauren Wood: Jayden Short. He missed out on last year’s glory after he was dropped leading into the finals series and has proven himself to be vital to the Tigers’ pressure machine.
Michael Warner: Jayden Short. Stiff to get dropped late last year but has helped make Richmond a better team in 2018.
Sam Edmund: Melbourne. If you believe in romance, this is the only choice.
Jon Ralph: Melbourne fans. They have endured so much. So many jokes about Mount Buller, so many agonising losses.
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Originally published as SuperFooty team gives their predictions for remainder of 2018 and reflects on their bad calls