Ladder Predictions now NAB cup is done and dusted

[plugger66]

Hard to call so early, but I think the Saints could finish between 7 - 10

Wait till after Round 10

Dont care where the other sides finish but that is exactly the position range I said yesterday to a mate. The first game is huge now. Win that and we could get some confidence. Lose it and players will be doubting if the window is still open. Wonder if those few who said it will be a walkover still feel the same.

[MCG-Unit]

Hard to call so early, but I think the Saints could finish between 7 - 10

Wait till after Round 10

Dont care where the other sides finish but that is exactly the position range I said yesterday to a mate. The first game is huge now. Win that and we could get some confidence. Lose it and players will be doubting if the window is still open. Wonder if those few who said it will be a walkover still feel the same.

I don't care where other teams finish either, although I like some more than others. Yes Round 1 is massive now, need to win for some confidence. I never thought it was a banker anyway being at Port.

[gringo]

hate to say it but i think both WA teams will make top 4.

No way Freo will be top 4, they will struggle to be top 8, as we probably will.

Freo were good before they had a season with more injuries than fit players even if Harvey had stayed they would have improved with a little luck. I think Ross has timed his run very nicely and will look like the difference despite nothing much being wrong.

[SinCitySainter]

I think we will finish towards the bottom of the 8. Not good enough to challenge at this point.
I think we have too many holes in our squad and too many good honest tryers attempting to fill them.
We lack a real contested marking threat up forward like a Cloke or a Brown.
Kosi should be that player but really does anybody expect that he will be anything more than just servicable?
Roo is a shadow of his former self, due to his knee, and I cannot see where the support will come from.
If we don't have a monster up forward taking pack marks we need to have very precise delivery to our mobile forward targets.
Unfortunately I think our disposal is still somewhat questionable and will remain so for another year or two until the youngsters are ready for senior football.


Hawks
Geelong
Collingwood
Carlton
Swans
Eagles
Saints
Crows

Freo
Richmond
Bombers
Brisbane
Dogs
Melbourne
North
Port
Suns
GWS

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

How can anyone possibly have us top 2 or even top 4 if they are serious? Take the red, white and black glasses off! If everything goes right we might sneak into 7th or 8th!
I am as an optimistic saints supporter as there is and Im normally bullish about our chances every year but this year is about getting some games into the young guys, we just won't be good enough to be a genuine chance. Our better players are either past there best or won't get any better. Get realistic!

[dcstkfc]

How can anyone possibly have us top 2 or even top 4 if they are serious? Take the red, white and black glasses off! If everything goes right we might sneak into 7th or 8th!
I am as an optimistic saints supporter as there is and Im normally bullish about our chances every year but this year is about getting some games into the young guys, we just won't be good enough to be a genuine chance. Our better players are either past there best or won't get any better. Get realistic!

I agree we'll struggle but we did win 11 of our last 15 last year.

[MrCordz]

1 Hawthorn
2 West Coast
3 Fremantle
4 Collingwood
5 Adelaide
6 Richmond
7 Geelong
8 Carlton
9 Essendon
10 Sydney
11 Western Bulldogs
12 Melbourne
13 Kangaroos
14 St.Kilda
15 Brisbane
16 Port Adelaide
17 Gold Coast
18 GWS

[aaron82]

West Coast
Geelong
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Fremantle
Adelaide
Carlton
Richmond

Sydney
Essendon
St.Kilda
North Melbourne
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Melbourne
Western Bulldogs
Gold Coast
GWS


Geelong still have a pretty good team despite their retirements, plus 7 or so games at home is a massive advantage. Adelaide will be much improved, I'm not sure about Carlton's pre season, they could start slow. From 7-13 it is very even. Games between those teams are vital so if we are to sneak a spot we must win the 50-50 games.
I reckon the dogs are in for a bit of pain in the interim. A lot of blokes past their best, they relied heavily on Hall kicking the bulk of their score. With him not there they are in trouble

[sendmehomehappy]

1. Poo & wee
2. Saints
3.?
4.?
5.?
6.?
7.?
8.?
9. Tiges
10.?
11. ?
12. ?
13. ?
14.?
15.?
16.?
17. Mooners
18. Lilliputians

[perfectionist]

How can anyone possibly have us top 2 or even top 4 if they are serious? ...

True, but it might depend on how long people have been following the Saints. When I was young, in the early 60s, I told my father than not only would we make the finals but that we would win a flag every year. He said I was nuts because the Saints hadn't made the finals in 22 years. Fortunately, I turned our to be mostly right, but not through any real knowledge of our position relative to other teams. At three quarter time in the '71 GF, my hopes were high - fifteen minutes later they were dashed. At three quarter time of our last H & A game of 1997, when we had secured top spot, my hopes were again high. Forty five minutes of football later, our dream was over. Our real chance was in 2004, but after round 10, and ten straight wins, our coach decided to experiment with the rucks. Two losses later he reverted to what had worked for the first ten rounds. It turned out to be too late as we finished third and not in the top two. The next year, injuries took their toll and the coach left Brett Voss on Ryan O'Keefe until the game was as good as over. And then, in 2009, a perfect Saints punch away hit the boot of a Geelong player rather than going one metre to his left directly to his opponent, and in 2010 the ball bounced up and away rather than straight on. So who knows? I hope all the beginners are right.

[gunnsaint]

My ladder is

Hawthorn
Geelong
Collingwood
West Coast
Swans
Carlton
Fremantle
St Kilda

Adelaide
North Melbourne
Richmond
Essendon
Melbourne
Western Bulldogs
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Gold Coast
Greater Western Sydney

That's if most things go well for the saints. If we loose more than 2 of the first five, I don't think we can make the eight.

[SainterK]

West Coast
Geelong
Hawthorn
Collingwood
Fremantle
Adelaide
Carlton
Richmond

Sydney
Essendon
St.Kilda
North Melbourne
Brisbane
Port Adelaide
Melbourne
Western Bulldogs
Gold Coast
GWS


Geelong still have a pretty good team despite their retirements, plus 7 or so games at home is a massive advantage. Adelaide will be much improved, I'm not sure about Carlton's pre season, they could start slow. From 7-13 it is very even. Games between those teams are vital so if we are to sneak a spot we must win the 50-50 games.
I reckon the dogs are in for a bit of pain in the interim. A lot of blokes past their best, they relied heavily on Hall kicking the bulk of their score. With him not there they are in trouble

Welcome to SS

[SaintPav]

We'll make the top eight.

[asiu]

Yea.
... if ya turn it upside down.
Get real.

[defacto]

i reckon we'll be anywhere between 12 and 1.

if we lose a game in the first 5 then we'll end up at 12

[aaron82]

Thanks Sainter K,

I've followed the saints since 1988, been very lucky to see many good times from the plugger days at Moorabbin, to Harves running amok at Waverley and now docklands. Sitting in the stands when BJ took "That mark' was the first time where I actually believed this might be the day it finally happened!

Scott Watters is the right man to get us that elusive flag, hopefully the young players step up this year with plenty more opportunity. If we can get the ball inside 50 more often this year then we will finish a lot higher than the 11th I'm predicting. I think this year might have a bit of licorice all sorts about it, we will have some very good days and some not so.

Big plus is I believe as supporters we are a lot more excited about this year than we were last year rolling up to the 'G' for round 1 vs Geelong

[Dr Spaceman]

Big plus is I believe as supporters we are a lot more excited about this year than we were last year rolling up to the 'G' for round 1 vs Geelong

Ain't that the truth


PS: Welcome fella

[SainterK]

Thanks Sainter K,

I've followed the saints since 1988, been very lucky to see many good times from the plugger days at Moorabbin, to Harves running amok at Waverley and now docklands. Sitting in the stands when BJ took "That mark' was the first time where I actually believed this might be the day it finally happened!

Scott Watters is the right man to get us that elusive flag, hopefully the young players step up this year with plenty more opportunity. If we can get the ball inside 50 more often this year then we will finish a lot higher than the 11th I'm predicting. I think this year might have a bit of licorice all sorts about it, we will have some very good days and some not so.

Big plus is I believe as supporters we are a lot more excited about this year than we were last year rolling up to the 'G' for round 1 vs Geelong

Ah, that mark....sigh.

Hope to see you post some more

[SaintPav]

We'll probably lose games we expect to win but will also win games we thought we would lose...we'll be a bit up and down.

[R. Harvey 3 votes!]

We'll probably lose games we expect to win but will also win games we thought we would lose...we'll be a bit up and down.

Fair Call. We were pretty predictable under Lyon. the unpredictibility of this year is actually exciting.
Even the "experts" can't really decide whether we will go up, down or remain the same!

[SainterK]

Thought this was amusing

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/our-exp ... 6356737414

Quite a few 'experts' have revised their eights to include St Kilda

[Old Mate]

Thought this was amusing

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/our-exp ... 6356737414

Quite a few 'experts' have revised their eights to include St Kilda

I think you'l find that they are revisiting their top 8 at the start of the season and commenting on the changes they would now make.

[SainterK]

Thought this was amusing

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/our-exp ... 6356737414

Quite a few 'experts' have revised their eights to include St Kilda

I think you'l find that they are revisiting their top 8 at the start of the season and commenting on the changes they would now make.

'With the benefit of seven rounds of exposed form, here's how 10 writers from our football team now see this most even of seasons playing out'

[Old Mate]

Thought this was amusing

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/afl/our-exp ... 6356737414

Quite a few 'experts' have revised their eights to include St Kilda

I think you'l find that they are revisiting their top 8 at the start of the season and commenting on the changes they would now make.

'With the benefit of seven rounds of exposed form, here's how 10 writers from our football team now see this most even of seasons playing out'

Poor headline, read the comments

[SainterK]

My 'big call' is Carlton to only just scrape into the eight, North to miss again and Brad to be first coach under pressure

Was wrong with just about everything else about the ladder, but indulge me in a bump here

Forget Primus and Neeld, this guy is going to be under the pump big time this week!

Not sure he'll even see the season out?