Fifteen bold predictions for the AFL in 2015

Cameron, you arent tracking too badly: Correct: 2, 5 and 8. And A few are yet to be seen. I hope you are right about 15!

I so hope you are wrong.

Trent Cotchin win the brownlow? Will never happen unless the Umpires conspire!

Hawks won't complete the three-peat, they got very lucky in their last 2 prelims, their luck has to run out.

I agree with some of the predictions here. I think Hawthorn are clearly the best side in the comp. They have the most depth which is crucial. Port and Sydney had few injuries last year compared to Hawthorn and Hawthorn still won the flag. Port Power fall short on depth and need their best 22 for most of the year if they are to challenge.

Coleman - Lance Franklin Brownlow - Trent Cotchin Premiers - Sydney Swans Wooden spooners - St Kilda

To back up my prediction, AFL club memberships are currently 10% above this time last year. Port Adelaide has passed 46,000 - which suggests they will certainly beat last year's record membership.

Most of your comments aren't bold or interesting either. Just saying.

My prediction is that Mick Malthouse will not be re-signed as coach at the end of the year, he will be told to go peacefully or be given the role as "Director of Football" sounds familiar!! then he will spit the dummy and tell everyone he wants to coach again will he courted by Melbourne where he will still be coaching when he is in a Zimmer frame and still a dud coach

1. A team from outside the top four makes the grand final Just because it almost happened in 2014, doesn't mean it will happen in 2015. It's hard for a reason – there are usually four very good teams in the top four. 2. One of last year’s preliminary finalists misses the eight Possible, but who? There's always a surprise (remember Hawthorn fell out of the eight in 2009 after their premiership). It's easy to focus on the teams that were soundly defeated (Sydney and North Melbourne) but can't see any of them falling from the top eight. 3. AFL home-and-away attendances will fall below 6.4 million for 2015 Neither here nor there. 4. Mick Malthouse signs a multi-year extension with Carlton I think Malthouse might be gone before the end of the year. He hasn't set the world alight at Carlton, and coaching is a younger person's game. 5. The Coleman Medal winner has no link to Hawthorn or Richmond Neither here nor there. 6. Every team wins six games, every team loses six games Strangely put, but I know what you mean. Historically, only wooden spooner has one six games (Collingwood in 1976). There are still a few weak teams in the AFL – St Kilda, Melbourne, Western Bulldogs – and possibly joined by Essendon who might be in for a disaster year. Six losses for the top team is more likely, but probably not going to happen. 7. Western Bulldogs claim the wooden spoon Possible, but don't discount Essendon having a terrible year, now that Hird is back and Thompson has departed. Hird is really not a coach, and the ASADA case may have taken its toll on the club and the team. 8. Greater Western Sydney finishes ahead of Gold Coast Possible. Gold Coast could have an incredible year, or stagnate – Eade should be a good coach for them, but he hasn't been coaching for a few seasons. 9. The Rising Star winner has already played an AFL game. Neither bold or interesting! 10. The 2015-16 free agency period will be underwhelming without a marquee player move Yes, this is possible. 11. No key position player is picked in the top five of the 2015 national draft Neither bold or interesting! 12. Harley Bennell plays less than seven games Neither bold or interesting! 13. Scoring increases to more than 92 points per team per game Average scores went up from 2011-2013, due to Gold Coast and GWS included in the competition, but as they become more competitive, they average scores will decrease. 14. Robbie Gray finishes top three at the Brownlow Possible. 15. Hawthorn three-peat Of course, this is possible. But unlikely. A three-peat is rare and even for one premiership, everything has to fall into place. I think many pundits are getting carried away with their absolutely brilliant and ruthless performance in the 2014 Grand Final. This was a rare victory because everything went right for Hawthorn, and everything went wrong for Sydney. But, remember they almost didn't make to the Grand Final – they just defeated Port Adelaide by 3 points in the Preliminary Final. Seems like Hawthorn has beefed up their team for 2015 and look even better on paper, but the three-peat is still unlikely.

Yep - a good start at home does wonders for the rest of the season. And a big win against the Pies would do quite nicely.

Yeah, I was looking at the average crowd tables - after 2010 things just dropped off the proverbial cliff. Spot on with your comment about fast starts Tom - I'm worried that if we go out and suck against Collingwood, this season is going to be stillborn before its even begun. We can't go out and lose the first 5,6 games like last year. Hell, our first win was in New Zealand, it was ages before we won one at home. Beating Collingwood is mandatory if we're to start building crowds again.

Certainly in a slump, but they were getting ~30k per game for about 10 years until the bottom fell out in 2010. Admittedly that was before the Suns carved away a chunk of their fan base, but honestly I think 25k should be a baseline figure even when they're doing poorly. The last three years should not be the standard. Can't overstate how important a fast start is for Brisbane attendances. They'll get close to a full house for Collingwood in round one on the Easter weekend: winning that game would generate a lot of repeat business. Brisbane crowds like winners.

Some interesting calls here. Personally, I reckon the Dogs for the spoon is actually a pretty logical prediction. The other teams down the bottom should improve but they having lost a lot of experienced players will struggle. I think you'll be right on 9 and 11 too, though what's this about Harley Bennell? I don't approve of spreading rumour.

Wow if 7 of those come off this year least to say it will be a very interesting year! A follow up article at the conclusion of the season??

One factor not factored in is a prediction on Essendon. Will the players get 4-6 weeks off to start the season - or longer? Will they be found not guilty and have a full list from the start. Surely this will be one of the major shake-ups for predictions. If the players are found not guilty how will it affect AFL finances and possible lawsuits. If players found guilty, how will this affect Hird and even lawsuits against EFC and Hird. Will this rumble in the jungle (a) impact attendances and (b) final 8 composition? If Bombers outed for 4-6 weeks, how will this impact percentage that teams get for smashing a VFL type team while clubs later in the draw having to face a full team? Surely these things have to be factored in - one way or another.

Very interesting on Bennell - hopefully pulls his head in or could possibly become a wasted talent and there is plenty of examples of that in the AFL's past

Fifteeen?! Summer holidays mean nothing to Cameron! Anyway, I’m going to respond to every one of these fifteen as I kill time before the start of the Victory game. 1. I probably disagree, but Essendon would be my best bet. 2. North Melbourne the best chance for mine. I think that group might’ve been a bit fortunate to finish where they did. 3. Agreed. 4. The will might be there for Carlton, but I doubt it’s there for Malthouse. He seems to be getting more and more jaded. 5. Maybe. I don’t really see why (Jack) Riewoldt and Roughead wouldn’t be amongst the favourites. 6. This simply won’t happen. Mathematically it’s tough, even if there weren’t four teams at the bottom who will struggle to beat anyone else. 7. As good a tip as any. 8. I’m on the GWS bandwagon as well. GWS should improve a fair bit and Gold Coast have a few issues to deal with. I reckon though this year Gold Coast might finish stronger, and GWS might struggle once they pick up a few injuries, so I’m not quite bold enough to agree. 9. Good call, but are there really all that many good contenders right now? No one really stands out. Crouch from Adelaide maybe. 10. Totally disagree. I think there’ll be more and more moves, particularly as the incentives are now stacked so that in some cases clubs are actually better off letting certain players go. Expect St Kilda to only half-heartedly fight to hold onto Jack Steven. 11. Agreed. 12. Interesting. He’s certainly been very inconsistent on the field. He reminds me of Des Headland in some ways; everything needs to be exactly right for him to play well. 13. Not sure about this one at all. It really only holds for Hawthorn and Port Adelaide, and Hawthorn have such a plethora of attacking options that I doubt too many clubs will back themselves to copy that strategy. 14. Yes, if he replicates his 2014 form. Typically though players who have a big breakout year often dip a bit afterwards. 15. Not really that bold a prediction, is it? I think it’d be bolder to predict that this will be the year that gravity kicks in and the exhausted Hawks can’t quite back up in 2015 the way they did in 2014.