Which teams will make way for the Saints rise?

[shanegrambeau]

Nominate the five teams that will slip a few notches and make way for the mighty Saints.
I'll have a go.

1) Port Adelaide
2) West Coast
3) Brisbane
4) GWS
5) Collingwood

[Nick_BlueNRG]

Nominate the five teams that will slip a few notches and make way for the mighty Saints.
I'll have a go.

1) Port Adelaide
2) West Coast
3) Brisbane
4) GWS
5) Collingwood

Is this a joke? Port Adelaide is a maybe but the other 4 will not slip.

[kosifantutti]

Does it matter?
We win 13+ games and we’ll play finals.

[Secret Kiel]

Geelong
Brisbane
Bulldogs

Two of those 3 clubs will drop out of the 8

Melbourne and Saints will push in.

[samuraisaint]

We won't make the Top 8 this year - no finals yet.

As I previously posted, if we can finally beat Adelaide, Port Adelaide and the Sydney Swans again after 9 and 8 years that will get us our 12 wins for the season. Not quite enough for finals, but given that these sides are on the slide and we haven't beaten them for the best part of a decade, when we were last playing finals, they will be the difference to our improving. That would be 3 wins we haven't had since 2011.

But if we turn up unprepared for the China match again, give up against Adelaide as per usual, and passively yield to the Swans in the Pride match again, we will only win nine matches again like we did this year. It is that simple.

[Stephen Theodore]

Nominate the five teams that will slip a few notches and make way for the mighty Saints.
I'll have a go.

1) Port Adelaide
2) West Coast
3) Brisbane
4) GWS
5) Collingwood

Is this a joke? Port Adelaide is a maybe but the other 4 will not slip.

Yep, I tend to think Port is a probable but can’t see the other four slipping out. I have West Coast & Collingwood in my top four.

[Joffa Burns]

Nominate the five teams that will slip a few notches and make way for the mighty Saints.
I'll have a go.

1) Port Adelaide
2) West Coast
3) Brisbane
4) GWS
5) Collingwood

Geez, gutsy call Shane.
I would think all bar PA would be aiming at a GF berth in 2020.

[shanegrambeau]

Well, yes, it is just a way of remembering that for us to rise we have to displace some other team. They are all telling themselves they are going to go up this year but there are only so many first class seats on the plane and someone has to get bumped!

Can you see improvement left in Collingwood? They've done well but Pendles, Sidebottom, Beams and co. are past their best ow and though they'll battle hard, I see them as a middle of the ladder team, kinda like Hawthorn were after all their glory was finally up in the mid-90s. Newer stars like Stevenson and co. had breakout seasons, but now other coaches know about them and they will be targets.

West Coast have peaked. Brizzy played out of their skins but the fixture, although rigged to help Qld teams in general, will start pegging them back.

I haven't got a hunch about Essendon. They can be diabolical and then brilliant. I read the other day that the last time they won a final, Grant Thomas was just hitting his straps as our coach. It wouldn't surprise me if they slipped.

North aren't much chop and GWS have promise, but even our 2018 team could match them on the day. Safeway sausages, I would say.

ha..am I speaking out of my ...no, of course not. I live in Japan and it is winter, so I have intuition, foresight that you lot, basking in the hot summer evenings down there in Melbourne or where ever, sipping on a beer on the back porch at sunset, do not yet comprehend.

[The Fireman]

I'm sure many of them would like to make way for us to rise to the top.

[Nick_BlueNRG]

Nominate the five teams that will slip a few notches and make way for the mighty Saints.
I'll have a go.

1) Port Adelaide
2) West Coast
3) Brisbane
4) GWS
5) Collingwood

For what it's worth, here is my prediction.....

West Coast
Brisbane
Greater Western Sydney
Richmond
Western Bulldogs
Collingwood
Geelong
St Kilda

Hawthorn
Fremantle
Carlton
North Melbourne
Essendon
Melbourne
Port Adelaide
Adelaide
Gold Coast
Sydney

[barneyboyz]

Question is, who out of the bottom half of the ladder do we stop beating us to it? Melb, Carlton, Dullbogs, North, Freo and Essendope could all embarrass us severely this year. We need alot of improvement to beat all that lot before we start looking at extracting someone from top 8

If we do though, I'd like it to be Geelong, reckon they'll slide, and I hate them with a pashion

[Life Long Saint]

2) West Coast
3) Brisbane
4) GWS
5) Collingwood

Four attempts and you still spelled Essendon wrong!

[shanegrambeau]

Essiedone.

Howz that!

Yep, perhaps they will crash, or have another of their three-seasons-in-one, with patches of gold and then utter horribleness.

I hope the latter visits them obviously.

I don't think our record against Essendon is good either though I might check.

[shanegrambeau]

Re. vs Essindin,
ince 2016, we won that game early last year , just, and lost easily in the other games.
Since 1980, 60 games, we won just 19.

[Life Long Saint]

Essiedone.

Howz that!

Yep, perhaps they will crash, or have another of their three-seasons-in-one, with patches of gold and then utter horribleness.

I hope the latter visits them obviously.

I don't think our record against Essendon is good either though I might check.

It's not that bad. We beat them last year, lost in 2018, lost in 2017, won both in 2016 (but they had half their team out), and went 1-1 in 2015 including a 110 point thrashing in round 14, and a win in 2014.
So that makes it 5-3 in the Richardson years. He wouldn't boast that kind of record against many teams.

Expecting better under Ratts.

[shanegrambeau]

It's not that bad. We beat them last year, lost in 2018, lost in 2017, won both in 2016 (but they had half their team out), and went 1-1 in 2015 including a 110 point thrashing in round 14, and a win in 2014.
So that makes it 5-3 in the Richardson years. He wouldn't boast that kind of record against many teams.

Expecting better under Ratts.

Wow..
So Richo Saints 1 Essendon 0.
A win for Richo there.
Not too many teams on that side of the ledger I'm afraid

Also Essendon had that ridiculous 2012. They were like Supermen for most of the season. I guess it's a poor guage.

[Goose is king]

Port
Geelong
Essendon
Hawthorn

[Secret Kiel]

Port
Geelong
Essendon
Hawthorn

I think the Bombers will be improvers this year. The quality of thier midfield is top 4 capable and runs deep. Getting some spine kpps ready to take the next step could hold the key to how deep they can go in September. Joe Dannier is the player they desperately need to perform. But yeah I think the Bombers move up the ladder this year.

[Goose is king]

[quote="Secret Kiel" post_id=1838130 time=1580201975 user_id=23531]
[quote="Goose is king" post_id=1838123 time=1580194647 user_id=17709]
Port
Geelong
Essendon
Hawthorn
[/quote]

I think the Bombers will be improvers this year. The quality of thier midfield is top 4 capable and runs deep. Getting some spine kpps ready to take the next step could hold the key to how deep they can go in September. Joe Dannier is the player they desperately need to perform. But yeah I think the Bombers move up the ladder this year.
[/quote]


I spoke to a friend who works at Essendon and he said Joe Daniher won’t play this year. Two days later he was off to Ireland for more treatment. I don’t see him playing, if he does he won’t set the world on fire

[Saintmatt]

Well, yes, it is just a way of remembering that for us to rise we have to displace some other team. They are all telling themselves they are going to go up this year but there are only so many first class seats on the plane and someone has to get bumped!

Can you see improvement left in Collingwood? They've done well but Pendles, Sidebottom, Beams and co. are past their best ow and though they'll battle hard, I see them as a middle of the ladder team, kinda like Hawthorn were after all their glory was finally up in the mid-90s. Newer stars like Stevenson and co. had breakout seasons, but now other coaches know about them and they will be targets.

West Coast have peaked. Brizzy played out of their skins but the fixture, although rigged to help Qld teams in general, will start pegging them back.

I haven't got a hunch about Essendon. They can be diabolical and then brilliant. I read the other day that the last time they won a final, Grant Thomas was just hitting his straps as our coach. It wouldn't surprise me if they slipped.

North aren't much chop and GWS have promise, but even our 2018 team could match them on the day. Safeway sausages, I would say.

ha..am I speaking out of my ...no, of course not. I live in Japan and it is winter, so I have intuition, foresight that you lot, basking in the hot summer evenings down there in Melbourne or where ever, sipping on a beer on the back porch at sunset, do not yet comprehend.

In no way attacking you here Shane but - were you been smashing cones when you wrote this?

I've always wondered how Collingwood won so many games but, in terms of improvement - they still have some. Beams is shot however, Pendlebury is like Harves - he's ageless. Sidebottom is durable and still a jet. Treloar is a ball magnet (but poor kick). They basically get Taylor Adams as a recruit and Isaac Quaynor has barely played. Their main problem is poor use from stoppages (much like us). They can maintain where they are.

West Coast peaked? Really? Ahh no. Not even close. You do realise they just added Geelong's AA (and best) midfielder to their team and have lost no one yeah? They're more likely to win 17 games comfortably.

Brisbane? Maybe. They've lost Hodge and he marshaled the backline superbly. But they get a fit Birchall to fill the breach. They've lost no one and their kids are only going to get better. Rich is their oldest mid and still playing great footy. They'll win all their games in Brisbane after June when it gets hot, sticky and slimy.

Essendon are in all sorts. They have Fantasia and Daniher who don't want to be there and Joey is already out of the country. He's unlikely to play this year. Devon Smith is their best mid and he's become seriously injury prone in the last 2 years. Merret is a gun and Heppel is closer to the end than the beginning (still with a dodgy foot). Shiel is a complete jib and a horrible ball butcher. Parish a nice player on the outside but doesn't hurt and they'll be hoping Tom Cutler can be the inside mid they've craved since Jobe finished. They also have a gazillion injuries at present - not a good portent for the season ahead.

North? Meh - they can get on a roll but, like North have been for the past 10 years - they may qualify for finals and even make a Prelim - they just don't have the weapons to win it.

GWS? It's clear that one cone too many was imbibed at this point. To their GF team - add Cogniglio, a fit Whitfield and Callan Ward. Their rucks are still weak and yet, Grundy had 70 hit outs in the Prelim and GWS still smashed the Pies in clearances. That's how good their midfield is (without the above 3).

The news that the China game is now unlikely to go ahead is a massive double win for us - it becomes a home game and against Port. Personally, I think only Essendon will slip out although, don't under-estimate the loss of Kelly to Geelong. He's a monster footballer and now even more will rely on Selwood and Danger. If they didn't play at that stupid shaped ground down in meth-town - I could make an argument that they could slip but, they'll win too many at home for that to occur.

[perfectionist]

Fremantle

[Saintmatt]

It's not that bad. We beat them last year, lost in 2018, lost in 2017, won both in 2016 (but they had half their team out), and went 1-1 in 2015 including a 110 point thrashing in round 14, and a win in 2014.
So that makes it 5-3 in the Richardson years. He wouldn't boast that kind of record against many teams.

Expecting better under Ratts.

Wow..
So Richo Saints 1 Essendon 0.
A win for Richo there.
Not too many teams on that side of the ledger I'm afraid

Also Essendon had that ridiculous 2012. They were like Supermen for most of the season. I guess it's a poor guage.

Absolutely! 2012 was the year the Bummers players were injected relentlessly. They won something like 7 or 8 in the first half of the season then had a bazillion hamstring injuries in the second half of the year and lost 10 of last 13 or something like that. Pretty sure they didn't even make finals that year in the end.

[shanegrambeau]

In no way attacking you here Shane but - were you been smashing cones when you wrote this?

...Collingwood... They can maintain where they are...

West Coast peaked? Really? Ahh no. Not even close.....

...Brisbane? Kids are only going to get better. ...

...Essendon are in all sorts...

.....North? Meh....

...GWS? It's clear that one cone too many was imbibed at this point....
....(no) China game... massive double win for us
..I think only Essendon will slip out.....

.......don't under-estimate the loss of Kelly to Geelong.

Ha...love it. Well, I admit to being a tad wishful...

Collingwood...maybe u r righter than me here...I think Bucks has become a legend now...a far cry from just three years ago...but of course, hard to tell from the outside.
But surely, these guys can't get any better! Can they? Maybe u r right. Pies might even win it if u are.

West Coast
How long has the big twin towers thing gonna work? Already Andre the bearded giant looks like he's showing vulnerability. The other fella has popped up, true. He might be like a Alastair Lynch kinda dude...Kelly..how old now..27? So he's gonna peak but he has to find his feet there...actually he is brilliant

Brisbane
Fixture. I agree theyll improve but they'll slip ladder wise.

Essendon and North
Ditto

GWS?
How come we sometimes can get under them and push them? They are missing something. Always have been , but I concede, perhaps the bits will fall into place.

Geelong
I'm starting to wonder again. I think they are dangerous. Our Jack might play well too.. very well, but the rest of them, surely, surely, those in the old brigade, that old steam engine has to come undone. !

OK cones..a few cones...I'll give you that. But I need to create a fiction.its pretty frustrating reading media hyping up all the teams. But for every rise here is a fall.

If every team won 11 games and we separated on percentage alone. I suspect the usual suspects might get up.

Come on Saints.

Oh also Adelaide. I look forward to another disappointing season for them.

[Furphy]

It's not a matter of other teams 'making way' it's St Kilda winning enough games to rise

[samoht]

It's a loaded question - it assumes that we will rise.

It doesn't ask "if the Saints are to rise..."

On that basis ...
The teams that we'll rise over (on the ladder) will have no choice in the matter - they will have to make way for us - that's the way it works.