Getting back to normal – whatever that is

By Adrian Polykandrites / Expert

For all the weirdness that was footy in 2020, here we are in a familiar place, with the seemingly indestructible Tigers ready to unveil another flag.

Seeking to become the third team in the AFL era to threepeat and the first to bag four premierships in five years, their list is still surprisingly young.

Jack Riewoldt, Shane Edwards and Big Game Bachar Houli are all on the downside of 32, but none of them is irreplaceable. Trent Cotchin and David Astbury are the only other Tigers older than 30.

Despite a difficult offseason it’d be foolish to bet against them, perhaps madness when you consider that Dustin Martin is involved.

Surprisingly young, last year’s runners-up are not. The Cats said goodbye to Harry Taylor and Gary Ablett Jr as well as Jack Steven and brought in Shaun Higgins (33), Isaac Smith (32) and star forward Jeremy Cameron, who will turn 28 next month and is smack in the middle of his prime.

Geelong enter the season with a real ‘wake me in September’ vibe. They’re the team to beat, but their struggle against Richmond will be a thing until it is not.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

Port Adelaide and Brisbane both have a point to prove and reason to think they can be better.

The Power added Aliir Aliir to bolster an already excellent defence as well as Orazio Fantasia, who if fit, makes their already dangerous forward line more so.

Travis Boak might be ageing like a fine wine, but at some point it all turns to vinegar. Port will want to make the most of their window that sees young guns Connor Rozee, Zak Butters and Xavier Duursma overlap with the late prime of Travis Boak and fellow ageing star Robbie Gray. Charlie Dixon’s ability to stay on the park is crucial to their success.

Speaking of fragile key forwards, the Lions brought in Joe Daniher, who you might have forgotten is a genuine game-changer when healthy. Good health is something the Lions have been blessed with for the past two seasons. Fingers crossed the crummy Cam Rayner injury isn’t a sign of that luck turning.

Health is unfortunately the headline at the Saints right now as well.

St Kilda have recruited smartly and with purpose in recent seasons and were last year rewarded with their first winning final in almost a decade.

But 2021 hasn’t started so well. Dylan Roberton’s career is over, Ben Paton’s season is over, skipper Jarryn Geary and gun big man Rowan Marshall are hurt, key recruit Brad Crouch is suspended, James Frawley suffered the least surprising hamstring injury in the history of hamstring injuries, Dan Hannebery is once again a few weeks away from being a few weeks away, Paddy Ryder has taken some time away from footy and now there are doubts over young gun Max King. Ooph.

(Photo by Matt Roberts/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)

Ooph pretty much sums up the Magpies’ offseason.

This side suddenly looks a bit thin, particularly the once-vaunted midfield. There’s still a high upside if the kids click and their stars stay healthy, but Collingwood suddenly look much more middle of the road than a contender.

West Coast and the Western Bulldogs will both fancy themselves as challengers.

After starting the 2020 season among the premiership favourites, the Eagles fell well short of expectation.

But despite the disappointment, they finished outside the top four on only percentage.

They still have A-graders at each end in Jack Darling and Jeremy McGovern, and Nic Naitanui, Luke Shuey, Elliot Yeo, Tim Kelly, Andrew Gaff and Dom Sheed form one of the league’s best midfields.

Adam Simpson has shown enough to suggest he’s among the league’s better coaches, and they never lack for resources. This team should contend.

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The Dogs, like the Eagles, boast a powerful on-ball brigade. If you ignore the ruckman, it’s the best and deepest in the competition. Of course you shouldn’t ignore the ruckman. They’ll be hoping Stef Martin is more competitive against the league’s bruisers than the talented but often overmatched Tim English.

The forward line looks solid enough – Mitch Hannan is a nice addition – even if Josh Bruce and Aaron Naughton seem allergic to easy kicks, but it’s in the back third that they’ll be most tested.

Still, the talent in the middle and on the flanks means another elimination final loss shouldn’t cut it.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

GWS, Melbourne, Carlton and Fremantle form the quartet of those most likely to break into the eight.

Fremantle, after a plucky season under new coach Justin Longmuir, have become the trendy pick.

Nat Fyfe’s role is one of the most fascinating subplots of the season. If the Dockers can compete in the middle without him, he could be the answer to their forward troubles. It’s a big if.

Carlton and Melbourne too have major issues in the attacking third. Both are well served in defence by good to great key backs and, in Carlton’s case, some high-quality and damaging back flankers.

What Melbourne lack in that department they make up for on the ball, where Max Gawn and Christian Petracca form a one-two punch as good as this league has – Clayton Oliver is none too shabby either.

Both want for targets in attack, and injuries are helping neither cause.

The Blues partly overcame their limitations with aggressive ball movement last season, and the addition of Adam Saad and Zac Williams is unlikely to slow them down.

Melbourne – who knows what the hell Melbourne are doing.

(Photo by Albert Perez/Getty Images)

Following the trend, the Giants now have a gaping hole in their forward line after Cameron’s move to the Cats.

Still, the GWS squad remains chock-full of talent and they’ve played only 17 games since being in a grand final.

Stephen Coniglio is much, much better than he showed last year, and Toby Greene, Josh Kelly, Nick Haynes, Lachie Whitfield – even Phil Davis when fit – are right at the pointy end of players at their position.

Tim Taranto, Tom Green and Harry Perryman are just three young Giants with huge upside.

There are constantly questions about their coach, and another disappointing season might result in answers Leon Cameron doesn’t like.

(Photo by Daniel Carson/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

The Suns are tough to get a read on. They were much more competitive last season before a pathetic finish to the year against the Hawks. There are high-upside young guys everywhere and they appear to be playing with a purpose under Stuart Dew.

Was their 5-1-11 record more indicative of their ability or their percentage of 90.6?

I suspect it’s somewhere in between. Double-digit wins is a reasonable target for this side, and finals certainly aren’t out of the question.

Ben King was top 15 in the competition for goals last season. He doesn’t get the same level of attention as twin Max, but his future is bright. That Rowell kid looks like he might be okay as well.

The Swans have not so quietly been reloading their list for a few seasons now. They still look a season or two away, but Sydney’s infrastructure seems to raise their floor every year. Please let Buddy get another run at it.

The Hawks, Bombers, Kangaroos and Crows are the near-consensus bottom four.

One of them at least will likely surprise, but picking which one with any confidence is almost impossible.

GWS in 2012-13 were the last team to win consecutive wooden spoons, and they were an AFL team in name only. Before that it was the Demons of 2008-09, and I suppose the same could be said of them.

The Crows won’t want to join that club after finishing last for the first time in 2020.

It’s tough to predict change in this competition. None of last year’s top-four sides has any obvious reason to drop off, but at least one of them almost certainly will, and there’s a good chance it’s a team from outside the eight that takes their place.

Fingers and toes crossed we can get through a season without hubs and quarantines and game postponements – and please don’t let there be empty stands.

Below is how the ladder definitely won’t look five months from now and a few other predictions. Bring on the season.

2021 predictions

Ladder

  1. Geelong Cats
  2. West Coast Eagles
  3. Port Adelaide Power
  4. Richmond Tigers
  5. Western Bulldogs
  6. Brisbane Lions
  7. Greater Western Sydney Giants
  8. St Kilda Saints
  9. Melbourne Demons
  10. Fremantle Dockers
  11. Collingwood Magpies
  12. Gold Coast Suns
  13. Carlton Blues
  14. Sydney Swans
  15. Hawthorn Hawks
  16. North Melbourne Kangaroos
  17. Adelaide Crows
  18. Essendon Bombers

Premiers
Geelong

Coleman Medal
Tom Lynch (Richmond)

Brownlow Medal
Tim Kelly

The Crowd Says:

2021-03-18T05:46:52+00:00

Aaron Paul

Roar Rookie


the sheer age of the cats lineup surely has to have them bottoming out soon, if not this year, next year, the short season last year was kind on their ageing stars, not sure the 22 round fixture wont see many succumb to injury

2021-03-17T08:49:42+00:00

Rowdy

Roar Rookie


Because of the children

2021-03-17T06:11:34+00:00

2dogz

Roar Rookie


:laughing: Think of the children

2021-03-17T05:24:47+00:00

Rowdy

Roar Rookie


Victory in Integrity or Death.

2021-03-16T22:53:44+00:00

Johnno

Roar Rookie


Looking through non blue & gold glasses, Allen yes, Rioli too late to influence where the Eagles finish on the ladder, the rest need to improve just to get a game.

2021-03-16T10:46:36+00:00

Rowdy

Roar Rookie


Trump with a heart!

2021-03-16T00:34:21+00:00

Charlie Keegan

Roar Guru


Bah I’m a benevolent fascist so yes everyone must agree with me on everything.

2021-03-15T23:19:33+00:00

COB

Guest


I love ladder predictions. So meaningless yet so much fun. My worst prediction was Port to finish last the year they narrowly lost to Hawthorn in the prelim final circa 2014

2021-03-15T22:35:00+00:00

Chief Keeffe

Roar Rookie


We can't all agree on everything Charlie, how boring would that be

2021-03-15T22:34:11+00:00

Chief Keeffe

Roar Rookie


Haha not a Blues supporter (Swans, which explains why I'm bullish on them too). I just like what they've done with the list and we know that, most years, a team comes from outside the 8 to inside the 4. Reckon Carlton is the best chance of that. Few would have predicted it of Port last year or Brisbane the year before. But history says, it almost always happens.

2021-03-15T21:06:41+00:00

Naughty's Headband

Roar Rookie


Never

2021-03-15T20:12:40+00:00

Charlie Keegan

Roar Guru


Nah we played better than the hawks in the preseason game.

2021-03-15T12:19:25+00:00

J.T. Delacroix

Guest


Martin did look a bit slow towards the end of last season, granted. I reckon he has one more season in him though. A stark warning for every poor sap who’s job it is to stop him.

2021-03-15T11:52:33+00:00

User

Roar Rookie


More the better my wife works in the age care sector got to keep her busy

2021-03-15T11:36:15+00:00

Rissole

Roar Rookie


Just waiting anxiously for them to topple us in round 1.

2021-03-15T11:30:47+00:00

Yattuzzi

Roar Rookie


Reasonable young 2d, Eagles would be devastated.

2021-03-15T11:29:12+00:00

Yattuzzi

Roar Rookie


Matti, I agree with Carlton. Love for Tigers to be fifth plus. Collingwood on a huge downer. WCE out of four but as always dangerous.

2021-03-15T11:25:51+00:00

Yattuzzi

Roar Rookie


Left out the Bullies. They will be left out of the eight.

2021-03-15T11:06:16+00:00

Yattuzzi

Roar Rookie


Yep, Port will be back in but Carlton always disappoint & again. Fremantle, Carlton in drag.

2021-03-15T11:03:41+00:00

Yattuzzi

Roar Rookie


Chief, close to mine. Carlton, Scraggers and Saints are too high.

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