It was a positive year for the Suns, a dreadful year for the Giants, a premiership-winning year for the Hawks and another horrible year for the Demons.
Gold Coast
The Suns had a great third year, which finished with their superstar midfielder Gary Ablett Jr winning the Brownlow Medal.
Jaeger O’Meara also won the NAB Rising Star for the best first year player, while Charlie Dixon also showed a little bit at full-forward.
Rating – 6. It was a pretty good year for the Suns, as they won eight games and finished 14th compared to last year’s 17th. That’s on top of the two players taking out major awards.
2014 Predictions – I think the Suns can improve again under the guidance of Ablett and coach Guy Mckenna. If the Suns can also secure the services of Heath Shaw from Colingwood, they could become a force to be reckoned with, though I still think the Suns need a couple of years to develop.
2014 Ladder Position – 11-14
Next premiership chance – 3-5 years
Look out for – Jack Martin
Expect more brilliance from – Ablett
Greater Western Sydney
The Giants had a bit of a disappointing year, but it was understandable, as unlike the Suns, they don’t have a big name player who can lead all the young players.
Callan Ward had a good year, but the highlight was Jeremy Cameron who kicked 62 goals and finished third in the Coleman Medal behind Jarryd Roughead (72) and Travis Cloke (68) respectively.
Rating – 3. It was a bad year with only one win, but that was to be expected.
2014 Predictions – With Lance Franklin signing with the Swans and snubbing the Giants, they are still without a landmark player like the Suns and Gary Ablett. I expect the Giants to stay around the same position on the ladder, as they need time to develop and grow as a team. If Jonathon Patton can return fully fit, it should help.
2014 Ladder Position – 17-18
Next premiership chance – 5-6 years
Look out for – Adam Treloar
Expect more brilliance from – Callan Ward
Hawthorn
The Hawks finished on top of the ladder for the second season running, losing just the three games – twice to Geelong and once to Richmond. Jarryd Roughead won the Coleman Medal and Sam Mitchell and Luke Hodge both had good years.
The highlight of the season was probably the preliminary final win over Geelong. And of course, the following week saw them beat Fremantle by 15 points to win their 11th premiership.
Rating – 9.5. Only lost three games for the season and won the grand final.
2014 Predictions – The Hawks will be without their superstar Buddy Franklin, but they still seem to do well without him. If Jack Gunston can fill Buddy’s position, the Hawks could still be a premiership chance. I think they are still a top four side.
2014 Ladder Position – 1-4
Next premiership chance – 0-2 years
Look out for – Jed Anderson
Expect more brilliance from – Sam Mitchell
Melbourne
It was a dreadful year for the Dees, which was highlighted by their 148 point smashing at the hands of the Bombers.
Mark Neeld was sacked, and the Demons continued to get beaten by 50-60 points. Neil Craig steadied them at the end of the season, and they had some more respectable losses.
Nathan Jones was the only real shining light for the Dees.
Rating – 3. The Demons had a tough year.
2014 Predictions – Unlike many other people, I can see light at the end of the tunnel for the Dees. Under new coach Paul Roos, I think they might improve considerably. With young kids like Jesse Hogan and Jack Viney, I don’t see why the Dees wouldn’t improve.
2014 Ladder Position – 14-17
Next premiership chance – 6-7 years
Look out for – Jesse Hogan
Expect more brilliance from – Nathan Jones
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Not often you see an umpire reverse his own decision!
Last, year in the second showdown, Adelaide destroyed Port by 47 points with a staggering 20 marks inside 50 with Tex Walker the main star.
There’s no disputing that Cam Guthrie will be important against Melbourne, given Patrick Dangerfield is set to miss due to injury.
Collingwood led by a point with minutes to go, Kyle Langford had the chance to be the hero with a set shot, however, he missed, and we saw the first draw of the season.
We’re taking a look at one player from each team that needs to make a difference this week, starting with the ANZAC Day games.
