Mick Malthouse reveals where your club sits on the premiership clock

There is doom and gloom surrounding the Blues this week. But their future is brighter than at least two clubs, according to AFL coaching great Mick Malthouse. See where every club sits on Mick’s premiership clock.

Mick Malthouse reveals where your club sits on the premiership clock.

I coined the phrase “The Premiership Clock” a decade ago, and according to my watch there are six clubs in prime time to mount a premiership challenge this year, with one surprise club almost within reach of the big hand at 12 o’clock.

The premiership clock is an indicator of how clubs are to peaking for a flag assault and, to a lesser extent, a prediction of their future. It changes every year.

From 11 to one o’clock, the time is now to make a genuine play for a premiership.

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In general, these clubs have an extremely good list that boasts depth, many potential All-Australians, a team that has played together long enough for balance in the game plan, they are coached well, and there is a solid mix of experience and youth.

Absolute prime time to win a premiership are the clubs positioned at 12 o’clock which is where I see West Coast and Collingwood. The Eagles already have one recent premiership, and Collingwood played off in the Grand Final, so time is on their side in 2019.

Both can improve with ins, they have a great mix of experience and youth. They ooze ability and speed, and they each live by the mantra of their game plan.

Collingwood is in the premiership sweet spot, Mick Malthouse writes. Picture: Getty

Melbourne and Greater Western Sydney are at 11 o’clock, meaning their time could come sooner if all things fall into place.

Each has demonstrated in recent seasons that it can get to finals and each is good enough on the day to make the Grand Final.

Melbourne has promised so much but needs to consistently display the work ethic that will differentiate between success and failure.

It will also need an ounce of luck, a solid game plan and a commitment by ALL players to adhere to the structure.

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At one o’clock I have Geelong and Richmond. Sitting at two o’clock is Adelaide.

Geelong and Richmond are still in with a chance at winning this year’s cup because both have the credentials to impose themselves on the top four.

The Cats have blended youth into an already brilliant team. But with the likes of Tom Hawkins (30), Joel Selwood (30), Patrick Dangerfield (29) and Harry Taylor (32) in the twilight of their careers, these players are going to be hard to replace, so the time for Geelong to strike is now.

Richmond have been hit hard by injury but Malthouse believes the Tigers can still win the flag. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Having said that, the Cats are one of those clubs that has the ability to attract big signings to aid in a quick recovery and swing straight back to nine o’clock, if this is not their year.

Richmond has been ravaged by injury. But this is a club that finished two games clear on the top of the ladder last season, after winning the 2017 premiership. The Tigers are not to be written off.

If the Tigers don’t win this year’s flag, they too should have a speedy recovery if they can maintain the team’s enthusiasm and hunger, and create a more balanced style rather than a reliance on the Fab Four — Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt, Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin.

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Adelaide may have slipped just past one o’clock. It had its chance two years ago to claim the cup, but since then and still, it lacks speed, especially in the middle. Strong recruiting would help.

Teams that are between three and five o’clock can go one of two ways. They can slide down further and sometimes get lost in the abyss or take a shortcut across the face of the dial to start again at nine o’clock.

The clubs that hitch a ride from three straight to nine are generally very well organised and structured, have recruiting depth, and are able to attract quality free agents or trades to instantly boost their playing power and therefore hasten their premiership chances. They have one to two years to recover.

The time is now for Geelong to strike. Picture: Getty

Hawthorn and Port Adelaide haven’t yet reached three o’clock so they are not entirely out of the race.

But the Hawks have ageing stars who are just starting to go off the boil — Jarryd Roughead, Shaun Burgoyne, James Frawley and Grant Birchall (who has already missed 12 months).

Though try as some other clubs might, they can’t seem to secure the talented big names needed to propel them out of the mid-afternoon rut.

From six to eight o’clock clubs are virtually starting from scratch. Rebuilding.

North Melbourne and Fremantle are grouped together in the danger zone.

North lacks a key forward to back up Ben Brown and its mids — outside of Shaun Higgins — are not in the same class as the top line-ups.

But perhaps North’s biggest problem is its inability to attract key talent to boost its list, keeping it at danger o’clock for the foreseeable future.

At nine to 10 o’clock these clubs are on the up. They have good, young lists, they have recruited well, they are playing with energy, they are well coached, and their time will come if this progress continues.

Some clubs may actually get immediate success from here, like the Western Bulldogs in 2016, but it is rare.

Carlton has more upside than North Melbourne and Fremantle, according to Malthouse. Picture: Michael Klein

While it seemed like the Dogs didn’t capitalise on their premiership window, the reality is that they probably reached the Grand Final from 10 o’clock, when they were still drawing up their premiership blueprint.

Having lost a lot of talent from their list since, they are back with Gold Coast and St Kilda, starting over.

Carlton, at seven o’clock, for all its first-round draft picks, has promised the world and achieved nothing as yet.

But the Blues have far more upside than North and Fremantle because they are a better team on paper and when they make the breakthrough it will be a significant hurdle overcome.

Finally the Brisbane Lions and Essendon sit just outside the optimum time frame.

But there is always a jack-in-the-box.

Lachie Neale’s inclusion at the Lions, along with the growth of Eric Hipwood and the “Big O” (Oscar McInerney) and a collection of enthusiastic young backs, has woken up the football world.

If they can get Luke Hodge and Stef Martin through a full year, who knows where this club is headed this season.

Remember, time is always turning, the clock is always ticking.