- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
This weekend we asked you to vote on who finished were on the AFL Ladder in 2018. Well, the results are in! Check out The Roar’s 2018 AFL ladder prediction as voted by you.
For comparison’s sake, I’ve included my own personal prediction here as well.
Adelaide Crows
The Crowd’s tip: 1st
My tip: 5th
The Crows got more votes for top spot than any other team, a big show of faith in last year’s minor premiers. I’ve got them a little lower, just a bit concerned about their ability to backup emotionally from the grand final loss.
Brisbane Lions
The Crowd’s tip: 15th
My tip: 13th
The Lions don’t have anywhere else to go but up and both the crowd and I are tipping them to head in that direction in 2018. I’ve tipped them to escape the bottom four but wouldn’t surprised if they finish even higher than this.
Carlton Blues
The Crowd’s tip: 16th
My tip: 14th
Losing both Bryce Gibbs and Sam Docherty as two of their best players in 2017 will probably keep Carlton near the bottom, and the tipsters agree. That said, I believe their new attacking style of play can get them out of the bottom four.
Collingwood Magpies
The Crowd’s tip: 11th
My tip: 15th
There’s arguably a reason or two worth being optimistic for Collingwood’s season, but the crowd is tipping them to tread water. For mine, they’ve been going down year after year and I don’t think 2018 is going to buck the trend.
Essendon Bombers
The Crowd’s tip: 8th
My tip: 10th
After rising from wooden spoon to September last year, the crowd is tipping Essendon to play finals footy again in 2018. While I’m bullish about their future, I reckon that a tougher fixture and emotional hangover from 2017 might make this year a bit of a disappointment.
Fremantle Dockers
The Crowd’s tip: 13th
My tip: 8th
The crowd see Fremantle improving a little maybe, but not much. Personally, I’m tipping them to be 2018’s surprise finalists, but perhaps only by the skin of their teeth.
(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Media/Getty Images)
Geelong Cats
The Crowd’s tip: 5th
My tip: 2nd
I’m tipping the Cats to win the flag and wouldn’t be surprised if they’re the fifth Victorian team in a row to win the grand final at home against an interstate side who finished higher than them. The crowd is a little less bullish, predicting them to fall out of the top four.
Gold Coast Suns
The Crowd’s tip: 17th
My tip: 18th
A popular tip for the spoon before the preseason, Gold Coast’s impressive performances under Stuart Dew in the JLT Community Series have raised their estimation just enough to avoid the kiss of death from the crowd. It’s a tight call – personally, I still have them last.
GWS Giants
The Crowd’s tip: 3rd
My tip: 3rd
Despite losing some key players over the offseason and then more during the preseason to injury, the crowd is giving the Giants the thumbs up to make the top four for a third year in a row, and I reckon they’ve nailed it.
Hawthorn Hawks
The Crowd’s tip: 10th
My tip: 12th
The Hawks still have enough of that mighty veneer that makes you feel like they could do anything, but looking at the cold hard facts they suggest that another season in the middling section of the ladder is probably more likely. The crowd and I agree on this one.
Melbourne Demons
The Crowd’s tip: 6th
My tip: 4th
Widely tipped as the team most likely to break into the top eight this season, the crowd has predicted Melbourne to host a home elimination final in 2018. I’m going one step further, I believe they’ll be a top four team.
North Melbourne Kangaroos
The Crowd’s tip: 18th
My tip: 17th
No AFL club got as many votes for any single ladder position as North Melbourne did to finish last, the crowd heavily predicting that the Roos will win their first wooden spoon in 45 years. After their preseason performances I find it hard to disagree, but still holding out hope that unwanted trophy can be avoided.
(AAP Image/Julian Smith)
Port Adelaide Power
The Crowd’s tip: 7th
My tip: 7th
Despite a busy offseason, the crowd is tipping Port Adelaide’s ladder position to go backwards in 2018. I agree, as I don’t feel any of the players added to the list properly address the team’s problems.
Richmond Tigers
The Crowd’s tip: 4th
My tip: 6th
The reigning premiers are a matter of great debate – their preseason form has been imperious, but most of us can’t help but feel there are better teams out there. The crowd thinks they’ll land in the top four. I don’t.
St Kilda Saints
The Crowd’s tip: 12th
My tip: 9th
After looking so promising twelve months ago, St Kilda just don’t seem to have a friend in the world right now, and the crowd is tipping them to tread water. I’m a bit uneasy about writing them off so easily, but it is hard to justify fitting them into the eight.
Sydney Swans
The Crowd’s tip: 2nd
My tip: 1st
If you ignore the first six rounds of the season, Sydney were probably the best side in the league last year, and it’s a widespread opinion that they’ll bounce back into the top four this year. The crowd says second, I say minor premiership.
West Coast Eagles
The Crowd’s tip: 14th
My tip: 16th
When you go over the cliff, you fall fast. The crowd has the Eagles slated to fall six spots this year (eight if you go from their post-finals position). I reckon they’ll be a bottom four side in 2018.
Western Bulldogs
The Crowd’s tip: 9th
My tip: 11th
2016’s premiers failed to make the finals last year and while they’ll be a reasonably competitive side, both the crowd and myself are tipping them to fall short again in 2018.
(Photo by Scott Barbour/Getty Images)
The Crowd’s 2018 AFL ladder prediction
1. Adelaide Crows
2. Sydney Swans
3. GWS Giants
4. Richmond Tigers
5. Geelong Cats
6. Melbourne Demons
7. Port Adelaide Power
8. Essendon Bombers
9. Western Bulldogs
10. Hawthorn Hawks
11. Collingwood Magpies
12. St Kilda Saints
13. Fremantle Dockers
14. West Coast Eagles
15. Brisbane Lions
16. Carlton Blues
17. Gold Coast Suns
18. North Melbourne Kangaroos
My 2018 AFL ladder prediction
1. Sydney Swans
2. Geelong Cats
3. GWS Giants
4. Melbourne Demons
5. Adelaide Crows
6. Richmond Tigers
7. Port Adelaide Power
8. Fremantle Dockers
9. St Kilda Saints
10. Essendon Bombers
11. Western Bulldogs
12. Hawthorn Hawks
13. Brisbane Lions
14. Carlton Blues
15. Collingwood Magpies
16. West Coast Eagles
17. North Melbourne Kangaroos
18. Gold Coast Suns