The AFL preseason always sees last year’s also-rans talk a big game for the coming season.
While teams such as North Melbourne, Richmond, Essendon and Carlton all generate hype in the media as the “big-improvers”, other teams such as Collingwood, Geelong and West Coast perhaps, more quietly, have more legitimate claims to the premiership.
Having shown my hand as to the top four in yesterday’s piece, here are the teams I see rounding out the eight.
5. Collingwood
The Pies are surprisingly unfancied by many in the football world for 2014.
Perhaps this is due to Dale Thomas’ departure, or the limp way they exited the finals.
Maybe a new captain in Scott Pendlebury has convinced many they need to consolidate.
No, this Collingwood team is one that would not surprise the author if it were to win the flag.
Alan Hansen may have said of Mancherster United “you don’t win anything with kids” only to see United win the league.
Those kids were Phil Neville, David Beckham and Ryan Giggs amongst others.
Collingwood’s youngster’s, whilst they are yet to show they can match those Red Devils, are seriously talented.
Brodie Grundy, Ben Kennedy, Taylor Adams and Jamie Elliot make up perhaps the most exciting brigade of young footballers going around.
Add to that list five of the competition’s best players: Dane Swan, Travis Cloke, Dayne Beams, Ben Reid and the Pendlebury, and the Pies have the makings of a team that should aim to finish in the top four.
6th North Melbourne
This is the year of the Kangaroo, or at least if you believe what you read.
After too many narrow losses last year meant that the Roos finished outside the top eight, expectation is extremely high that this year.
The Roos are a year older, stronger and fitter and ready to start winning games that last year they blew.
A win against second placed Geelong last year showed just what the Roos could do and when you put that with somewhat unlucky defeats against both the Cats and Hawks, it shows North’s potential.
An All-Australian fullback in Scott Thompson is the glue in what is an extremely skilful defence.
Jamie Macmillan, Sam Gibson, Scott McMahon and Shaun Atley are all very capable rebounders but when you Nick Dal Santo, the Roos become very dangerous.
A highly talented midfield of Jack Ziebell, Ryan Bastinac, Daniel Wells, Ben Cunnington and Andrew Swallow when he returns mean that if Brent Harvey, Drew Petrie and Lindsay Thomas can fire up forwards, the Roos will hope to emulate the Cats in 2007 and go from 10th place to premiers.
7th West Coast
Perhaps surprising, but the Eagles should surely have very high expectations.
A dreadful year last year, better than perhaps only Melbourne and Essendon, saw the Eagles plummet from flag favourites to the lower reaches of the ladder.
A new coach, and a couple of new players such as premiership performer Xavier Ellis and the highly rated but homesick Elliot Yeo will have the Eagles’ fans bubbling with optimism.
The Eagles still have the best ruck duo by the length of Nic-Nat’s locks in the game and plenty of talent in the midfield.
A dynamic and powerful forward line of Josh Kennedy, Mark Lecras and Jack Darling should be able to produce a score and Darren Glass, Mitch Brown and Eric Mackenzie and co should be able to prevent one being kicked against them.
They need to rediscover their home fortress but expect a big year from the Eagles.
8th Richmond
Finally finals, that was the sentiment at Punt Road early last September.
And yet, there was a sour taste in the mouth of the Tiger fan later that month, caused by a quite horrible finals capitulation to a less-than-special Carlton team-whose hero Nick Duigan is no longer at the club.
Unfortunately for Richmond, the standard of the competition looks to have increased again, and there are doubts as to whether the tigers can maintain their lofty position on the ladder.
They should have the quality however to make finals, and no team would fancy taking on a streak of tigers hungry for the taste of revenge.
Brett Deledio, Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin are all special players.
Jack Riewoldt is Jack Riewoldt and Tyrone Vickery showed last year he can be a quality AFL player.
If Dylan Grimes, Alex Rance and Brandon Ellis can deliver on the sort of promise they have shown, then the Tigers could find themselves rocketing up the table.
However improvement is needed on all lines to stop the Tigers slipping down a few rungs to the position of the dreaded N-word, ninth.
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