AFL Season Club by Club Thoughts for 2018

This is just a brief take on every club's fortunes and prospects for the upcoming season of the Australian Football League.

Over the next week or so I'll look to do a more thorough, statistical-based prediction for what we might expect this season. Keep a lookout for my ongoing analysis of the Premier League relegation fight if you want an idea of how it may look.

Adelaide

They were quite a dominant side last year, making the Grand Final and falling short in spectacular fashion when it counted. I mean, they lost a Grand Final to Richmond...

On the field you would think they'd be thereabouts again - a couple of incoming and outgoings, but more or less haven't been significantly strengthened or weakened.

They did seem to implode somewhat after the Grand Final, so whether there's any lingering mental scars or disharmony within the ranks will remain to be seen.

Prediction:
1st-6th

Brisbane

They have been quite poor for a number of years and seem to have slightly turned the corner in the past year or so, hiring a decent coach, not losing all their good young players, and picking up Luke Hodge as an on-field leader providing invaluable guidance to their younger players. I don't think this will help them much this season, but at least they're getting onto a better path.

Prediction:
15th-18th

Carlton

Carlton is similar to Brisbane, in that they're coming off a period of mediocrity, which followed another period of mediocrity, which followed a period of disaster. They've really been a terrible club and being a Collingwood supporter, I must say I've quite enjoyed it.

They don't seem as bad however - they've got some very good young players and some good older players, with absolutely nothing in between. They seem to have a decent coach now. That is realistically about where their list is.

How did Mick Malthouse work out?

Prediction:
10th-15th

Collingwood

Obvious bias here, but I'll try to remain impartial.

Everyone likes to focus on Collingwood's on-field fortunes. With Buckley taking over after back-to-back Grand Finals, there's no questioning that we've been in a steady decline since then, though I'd argue that decline has started to taper off in the past season or two.

I also argue that the coach can't be blamed for all of it as the mini-rebuild would have been a whole of club decision. I'm personally happy to have given Buckley another couple of years as I think he's a good coach.

There's been some puzzling list management decisions in years gone by and we're probably paying the price for that now. The early years of Buckley's coaching, when a few older players were culled, coincided with some horrible recruiting and that is where our list now has a significant cap.

Very strong midfield, average at either end.

Prediction:
7th-13th

Essendon

Not sure why, but Essendon supporters seem to be carrying on lately like they've been hard done by in recent years. I might have to do a little research to see why that is, as I don't think there's been much coverage about whatever is bothering them.

On a serious note, these guys are very bloody optimistic. Granted they found a couple of gems during their season in the wilderness and have done very well in the trade table since (for probably the first time in history). I think they'll be better this year but I don't share the optimism of some of their fans (i.e. premiership certainties).

Prediction:
4th-7th

Fremantle

Probably one of the hardest sides to predict. They made a Grand Final only a couple of years ago and had a massive fall off the cliff since then.

They've been giving games to younger kids in that time and as much as I hate their coach, he can coach. I would not be surprised to see them climb back up the ladder this season. But then again, I said that last year.

Prediction: 6th-10th

Geelong

I've really come to dislike this team in recent years (since around 2011).

I've written them off a few times since then but they're like an annoying wasp. No matter how many times you try to swat them, they just won't go away.

Credit where credit is due, however. They've managed to remain relevant at the pointy end of the season for the better part of 11 years now. They've added Gary Ablett to their list, but whether he remains fit enough will remain to be seen.

Hard to see them dropping out of the eight though.

Prediction:
4th-7th

Gold Coast

Aren't we so grateful that the AFL decided to sink millions into this venture instead of some other options that were being floated at the time...basket-case both off and on the field.

Losing Ablett might even be a blessing in disguise, they'll realise they don't have him there to rely on. Therefore, when he's injured for two-thirds of the season, it isn't crisis time. Though this season, crisis time has probably already started.

Prediction:
13th-18th

GWS

Now that we've gone through the "How not to start a new football club" section of this post, it's time for the opposite.

Not much to say about GWS's list - except for "F---."

The only question that remains is whether they can take that next step. That relies not only on talent, which they're clearly in abundance of, but also culture and leadership.

Prediction:
1st-4th

Hawthorn

Such a shame that these success-starved supporters might have to go another year without success.
They've clearly still got talent but they understandably have gaps in their list now.

And it couldn't happen to a nicer bunch.

Prediction:
8th-13th

Melbourne

After ruining their hopes and dreams last year, following two to three weeks of hysterical laughter, I was actually overwhelmed by sorrow.

On-field they are a much better side than we've seen in years gone by. Culture questions still remain though; their players are complaining to the AFLPA about a tough training camp that the club had planned. It's never a good sign when players revolt against their coach like that.

Prediction:
6th-10th

North Melbourne

I do not like their coach.

Now that that's out of the way, North supporters will not have much to brag about this year. This is one of the most extreme cases of rebuilding from the bottom that we've seen in a number of years, if not ever.

Prediction:
16th-18th

Port Adelaide

Another team that is hard to predict. Over the past 5 years, they've been nothing short of disgraceful at times while brilliant at others. They went pretty hard at the trade table so we'll see how that experience settles in.

Prediction:
6th-9th

Richmond

And so begins another 37-year premiership drought....

I hold them in a similar regard as I held the Bulldogs after their premiership. They're by no means the best side in the league, but they perform when it counts.

I wouldn't be picking them to miss the 8 as the Bulldogs did, but they won't be a stand-out as some expect from reigning premiers.

Prediction:
4th-9th

St Kilda

A bit of an enigma this season. After bottoming out in the years following their Grand Final appearances, they seemed to stagnate a bit last season. I can't see them being any worse than last year, but we'll see whether they'll be any better.

Prediction:
7th-12th

Sydney

Another team that just doesn't seem to want to go away. Finishing sixth last season was their worst effort since 2011. I'm not sure they'll be any better this season, but they won't be much worse.

Prediction:
5th-9th

West Coast Eagles

After pushing hard for a couple of seasons, they dropped off last year and just sneaked into the 8 at the last minute.

They've been very much an up and down over the past five or six years which makes them a bit hard to predict. I'd say they'll perform not too differently from last season.

Prediction:
7th-10th

Western Bulldogs

Premiership hangover is done and dusted. They have a very good coach and some very good young players, though off-field they don't seem as stable as you might expect from a club that's just broken a 62-year premiership drought.

Should be better than last year, but for some reason they no longer strike fear into me (well, truth be told, they never really did).

Prediction:
5th-10th

_{Cover Image Credits: Jenks24 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons}

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_{Author: @farq
Editor: @liberty-minded}

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