Name the 8 next year: Saints to be there

[6621104]

On the evidence thus far, three of the current finalists will struggle to make the 8 next year - North for sure, the Hawks and following a dismal showing the Cats. can't say I am sad about any of them!
WE are looking good for next year and in my view are less reliant on the trade period to be one of the contenders. before you all jump all over this statement I do think trading well is vital, but our improvement will be less uncertain than say the Hawks who will need to get the guys they are after to stay relevant. NOrth will go nowhere regardless and the Cats ditto. BOth the cats and the Hawks won games due to the class and experience of the older guys that will be missing next year.
THe bombers will be very active in the trade period seeking a ready made player (and they have a # 1 pick to trade) as they cannot afford a poor year now they have their druggies back so I expect that they will be there, and in all likelihood GWS.
SO : Sydey teams x 2, Doggies, West Coast, GWS, Druggies, Saints, Adelaide

OF the others- Pies will be better but not there yet, Port - something is wrong there with how poor they have been lately, Melbourne - too many have bought into the Roos transformation nonsense and If Hogan heads west they add some young talent that will not help next year and the tigers are ..... Well the Tigers.

[chook23]

who is the extra team in Sydney???

[BigMart]

Out
North

In
Essendon, Melbourne, StK, PA, Coll
Will fight it out

I think it's interesting that we believe it's going to be a fait accompli that we make the 8

Tougher draw due to not finishing bottom 6 and possibly a worse run with injuries

Riewoldt, Dempster, Montagna all a year older

[ROLS-LEE]

Out
North

In
Essendon, Melbourne, StK, PA, Coll
Will fight it out

I think it's interesting that we believe it's going to be a fait accompli that we make the 8

Tougher draw due to not finishing bottom 6 and possibly a worse run with injuries

Riewoldt, Dempster, Montagna all a year older

Depending on how the essendumb players return after a year off, with an easy draw, they could be odds on favourite to make the 8.

Also depending on Hawthorn's season, they could slide out also. SOme key injuries to Mitchell, burgone? etc, their great players another year older and selling the farm to get O'meara and never playing a game.

[older saint]

Sydney, GWS, WC, Haw, Geel, WB , St Kilda, Adelaide/Melbourne

[Life Long Saint]

Sydney
GWS
Bulldogs
Geelong
Adelaide
West Coast
St Kilda
Fremantle

Out:
Hawthorn, North

In:
St Kilda, Fremantle

Essendon were a mediocre team before the suspensions and they've lost Carlisle, Melksham and Hibbard. Watson has never been the same player since the 2012 season...Hard to see them be anything other than middle of the road. If they're in the same group as Carlton, Gold Coast and Frematle then they'll struggle as all of those teams will improve from last season. Especially Gold Coast and Fremantle who will have players returning from injury.

[Wombat15]

I reckon its between melbourne and saints for that 8th spot, we are the only 2 teams that are about to stock up in trade and fa. PA are potentially going to lose a few key players, Pies are very overrated, their tall stocks apart from Grundy just arent at a b grade level. Essendon has a whole bunch of blokes coming back yes, but will take till at least round 6 to fire up. Who knows with freo, about to go through a mini rebuild where the younger players just arent ready. the trump is though that midfield is insanely good.

[Life Long Saint]

Who knows with freo, about to go through a mini rebuild where the younger players just arent ready. the trump is though that midfield is insanely good.

They play 12 games in Perth though. That has to help. It's why the Eagles are up there...Although they will miss Nic Nat terribly next season.

[Wombat15]

oh yeah home ground advantage helps and so do their local umpires but even then. On paper they will have a very good side im just not sure how that will translate into actual play, seeing as Ross is unwilling to conform to the new ways of run and gun footy.

[Myron Gaines]

1 - Giants
2 - Swans
3 - Dogs
4 - Crows
5 - Cats
6 - Eagles
7 - Saints
8 - Dees

[saintsRrising]

I reckon its between melbourne and saints for that 8th spot, we are the only 2 teams that are about to stock up in trade and fa. .

???

Saints may land up to 3 players and maybe only one. No present signs that we will land a gun, but hopefully we will. If you guessed at present we will get Steele and a back like Brown. If Longer goes it may just land us a seconder rounder via a third party for Steele.

I expect Pies will win more games as A/ it looks like thy are topping up with Wells, Mayne and the like and B/ they had a pretty horrid injury run. I don't expect this will propel them into the Top 4, but it should have them threatening to break into the 8.


Dees should be thereabouts.

Saints had a soft draw in 2016. 2017 will likely be much harder. Very low injury rate too.

Hawks and Cats I both see as declining, but both are still likely to make the 8. Hawks had a hard draw this year. Cats had a reasonably easy one, and so will have a tougher draw though perversely in 2016 they went well against the good teams thy did play. The Cats still will have a lot of games at Kardinia Park which gives them an advantage. It will be interesting to see what both teams final lists are for 2017.

Yes North look gone.

Saints will need to be better in 2017 just to hold on to 9th.

[White Winmar]

There are usually a couple of changes from year to year. I'd expect us to go one better and sneak in as we have a lot of improvement left in our group. Given a good run with injury, my smokey is GCS. Have you looked at their list? An amazing amount of talent and they have multiple picks in the top 30 of this year's draft. They might need a new coach, though. I hear Rocket is not safe, especially after the President's assurances that he was. I'm led to believe he's part of their problem.

They were devastated by injury. Losing JOM won't affect them. They've got by without him for the past two years. Prestia is a loss, but the upside of losing those two is that their draft position will become even stronger, plus they might jag a couple of decent senior players. They might even trade their way back into contention. Kangas are gone. I think that's a given. Surprise drop out? WCE. No Nic Nat and some worrying signs in the last few games. Even 12 home games and the extra three men they get at home won't save them. IMHO.

[desertsaint]

GWS
Sydney
Dogs
Hawks
Cats
Eagles

Collingwood
Adelaide
Melbourne
Saints fight for 8-11 - expect that order.
If most of McCartin, Billings, Lonie, Gresham, Armo, Acres, Carlisle improve on this year we will make it. If all improve we will finish above a couple more.

[skeptic]

Boy, a lot of ppl writing off the Hawks!!!!

They may slide but they'll push again I reckon

[saintsRrising]

Boy, a lot of ppl writing off the Hawks!!!!

Reasons why:

- Personally I reckon that the Hawks had a very lucky year and should not have finished Top 4. Yes good teams keep pushing and "find a way " as the saying goes, but I still believe they were very lucky to not have lost several more of the close games, than the one they did.

- They have a lot of good older players that will start to wain sooner rather than later

- I also cannot see them landing both JOM and Mitchell without losing some good players

- Their group of really young players is underwhelming


and lastly Saints, Dees and Pies will all push them harder next season.

I still think that they will make the 8, but not by much.

[Wayne42]

I don't think Eade is under the pump, that is the usual cop out, blame the coach.
They have talent at the Suns, BUT, they also have a crap midfield, still too reliant on old man Ablett and not much onfield, midfield, depth.

[samuraisaint]

I reckon its between melbourne and saints for that 8th spot, we are the only 2 teams that are about to stock up in trade and fa. .

???

Saints may land up to 3 players and maybe only one. No present signs that we will land a gun, but hopefully we will. If you guessed at present we will get Steele and a back like Brown. If Longer goes it may just land us a seconder rounder via a third party for Steele.

I expect Pies will win more games as A/ it looks like thy are topping up with Wells, Mayne and the like and B/ they had a pretty horrid injury run. I don't expect this will propel them into the Top 4, but it should have them threatening to break into the 8.


Dees should be thereabouts.

Saints had a soft draw in 2016. 2017 will likely be much harder. Very low injury rate too.

Hawks and Cats I both see as declining, but both are still likely to make the 8. Hawks had a hard draw this year. Cats had a reasonably easy one, and so will have a tougher draw though perversely in 2016 they went well against the good teams thy did play. The Cats still will have a lot of games at Kardinia Park which gives them an advantage. It will be interesting to see what both teams final lists are for 2017.

Yes North look gone.

Saints will need to be better in 2017 just to hold on to 9th.

I thought Steele still has a foot injury, and we couldn't get Brown when we really needed him and when he was in his prime - why would we want him now? No thanks. Tom Mitchell would be my pick.

No-one thought Fremantle would drop so dramatically this year, and a lot of pundits expected the Suns to make the finals and they finished right down the bottom. I think the Hawks and North, along with Adelaide look like they could all drop out of the 8 next year, and, who knows, if the Bulldogs win the premiership, and even if they don't, they may suffer from a hangover and drop out too.

We'll improve next year just by having a centre half back at last. I thought we had a very good year in spite of the fact that sides were able to score relatively freely against us. Games like those against Gold Coast, Sydney, West Coast and Adelaide won't be repeated, provided Carlisle can stay fit, because we will actually have a big, mobile key defender there to stand the monster forwards and repel attacks.

Having said all of that I don't think we'll make the 8 next year, but rather consolidate, and develop and add talent to the list. 12 wins again, superior %, and fewer 10 goal plus blowouts. I would also like us to beat sides we haven't beaten for years - Adelaide, West Coast, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn, Sydney and North Melbourne. But. okay, I'll bite. here is my final top 8 for 2017:

Sydney
West Coast
Geelong
GWS
Bulldogs
Melbourne
Collingwood
Essendon
St. Kilda (9th)

[saintsRrising]

I said a player like Brown. .and by the way their are TWO Browns.
I am talking FA etc or a cheap trade. It could be McKenzie too.

I am also stating what I think the club will do rather than what I would do.

Ie Someone cheap that can do the role till Goddard comes online.

[samuraisaint]

I said a player like Brown. .and by the way their are TWO Browns.
I am talking FA etc or a cheap trade. It could be McKenzie too.

I am also stating what I think the club will do rather than what I would do.

Ie Someone cheap that can do the role till Goddard comes online.

Yep, McKenzie would be a very good get. Is he available and looking to leave West Coast?

[White Winmar]

I said a player like Brown. .and by the way their are TWO Browns.
I am talking FA etc or a cheap trade. It could be McKenzie too.

I am also stating what I think the club will do rather than what I would do.

Ie Someone cheap that can do the role till Goddard comes online.

Yep, McKenzie would be a very good get. Is he available and looking to leave West Coast?

Not according to today's media. He is contracted for 2017 and has not requested a trade, is what was reported. All that could change in a heartbeat, of course.

[BigMart]

Mitch Brown?

Haven't forgot those pricks wouldn't trade him a few years back and bent us over a barrel for Cripps.

Get him for ZERO

[saintsRrising]

Yes I think that we all understand that FAs came for ZERO re picks or player cost as that is what FA is.

[BigMart]

Yes, that's right!

So why not look at him as a key defender or back up to replace
Fisher, Delaney?

He will be relatively cheap and has got 3 years or maybe 4 in his body.

[saintsRrising]

Yes, that's right!

So why not look at him as a key defender or back up to replace
Fisher, Delaney?

He will be relatively cheap and has got 3 years or maybe 4 in his body.

I agree that the club most probably is, along with his brother (better , but will cost most salary) as well as some other possibilities.

Mitch's wife just signed on with the Pies Netball team and so odds are that Mitch has already got an offer or two to play in Melbourne and the Saints may well be one of them.

[stkfc1]

Out
North

In
Essendon, Melbourne, StK, PA, Coll
Will fight it out

I think it's interesting that we believe it's going to be a fait accompli that we make the 8

Tougher draw due to not finishing bottom 6 and possibly a worse run with injuries

Riewoldt, Dempster, Montagna all a year older

Depending on how the essendumb players return after a year off, with an easy draw, they could be odds on favourite to make the 8.

Also depending on Hawthorn's season, they could slide out also. SOme key injuries to Mitchell, burgone? etc, their great players another year older and selling the farm to get O'meara and never playing a game.

Im saying right now we dodged a bullet with OMeara. Just caught a flight back from LA and JO and Tom Lynch on flight also. JO had trackies on but you can tell from how developed his upper body (not that he's super big) compared to the sticks he's walking around on that he has absolutely no conditioning or strength in thoses pins. Seriously looks like a 12 year old boy from the waist down. It would take years to get strength and conditioning right with that frame and he would have to be super susceptible to injury. I have a pretty good background in fitness training and I can tell you he would be coming from a long way back. With Freeman already a long term project, not what we need.