AFLW 2024 Season Prediction

[The Nostradamus]

Lions away was supposed to be the hardest fixture?

Completed it

Northball going undefeated this year

 

[CrowdedHouse]

Lions away was supposed to be the hardest fixture?

Completed it

Northball going undefeated this year

Could well and truly be.

Only two games I think could stop that is when you play Adelaide in Adelaide, and more of smokey than anything, but Sydney in Hobart might be the banana peel game (the one you lose when not expected to).

 

[Liam Boy]

Could well and truly be.

Only two games I think could stop that is when you play Adelaide in Adelaide, and more of smokey than anything, but Sydney in Hobart might be the banana peel game (the one you lose when not expected to).

I've never seen this side do that. The closest would be narrowly losing elimination finals to Freo and Collingwood, years ago. For the longest time we'd beat everyone else but lose narrowly to Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide, a model of consistency.

 

[The Nostradamus]

Lions away was supposed to be the hardest fixture?

Completed it

Northball going undefeated this year

 

[CrowdedHouse]

1st. North Melbourne Tasmanian Kangaroos 10-1 -> Will be stung be last year's GF loss and go on the rampage

So, looking back at my predictions made when the fixture was first released.
Kangaroos - Wasn't exactly rocket science, as they showed in the opening game against the Lions.
They were stung, went on the rampage, and went 10-0-1.

2nd. Melbourne 10-1 -> Just consistently thereabouts, and I think they'll be in the Top 4 again.

Oh, boy. Injuries got them, so much to a point on the official team lists some of their emergencies jumpers were listed as "00". Still, that game against Essendon, that showed zero effort.
Started to get their s*it together near the end of the season, but it was too late. I missed on that one.

3rd. Adelaide Crows 9-2 -> Like Melbourne, always thereabouts.

Missed by one win and one spot from getting that right. Think in my method that might have been the Lions v Crows game when I tipped them to win away.

4th. Richmond 9-2 -> The big improvers. Injuries smashed them last year, but they always put in a show. Their year to push for the Top 4.

Missed that by 3 spots and 2.5 wins. Didn't have them losing to the Eagles, nor the Hawks and Port.

5th. Gold Coast 8-3 -> Growing very nicely, and will be hard to beat up in Qld.

I stunk it up with this one. Missing by 12 spots and 6.5 wins (though that result against the Pies...). I thought despite the talent lost, that'd hold a good home ground advantage - especially when teams have to come up there with the compressed fixture. Got that very wrong!

6th. Geelong 7-4 -> I'm tipping a sluggish start, but to pick up steam at the business end.

I was right about the sluggish start, but picking up steam towards the end. Prediction missed by 2.5 wins and 4 spots. Shouldn't have dropped that game to Melbourne, but what was that performance against Carlton! Injuries also a problem.

7th. Brisbane 6-5 -> Bit like last year. Good team that will drop a game or two at times when they shouldn't. Still a threat, but inconsistent.

Missed by 4 spots (Brissie finished 3rd) and 3 wins. Turned out to be more consistent this year, not dropping games (like against the Tigers and Pies) like they did last year.

8th. Sydney 6-5 -> Draw is harder than last year, but with some injured talent coming back, should be enough to hold their spot in the top 8.

Missed by 3 wins and 7 spots (15th). That said, injuries (especially to Molloy, then Morphett) hurt them big time. With them back in, I reckon they win those close games against the Dogs, Dons, Cats and Suns. Wasn't expecting them to set the house on fire in the finals, but they're a better mid-range team than 15th.

9th. St. Kilda 6-5 -> Might look an even better side than last year, but will just fall short on percentage. Probably lose a coin flip game or two.

Missed the wins by 2 and spots by 2 (11th). Looked like a better side in the first three rounds, then fell apart after that. Strangely, Nicky Dal gets a contract extension after that implosion????

10th. Collingwood 4-7 -> More of the same old, same old. New coach, but nothing to suggest a push for the eight.

Yes, injuries smashed the Pies from the Opening Round, but oh boy, to finish last... yikes!
A worrying sign is they never kicked more than 4 goals (highest score 4.11.35) in a game. For the good sides, 8-10 goals is now the par score. So, I was right on the Pies not being in the finals mix, but missed on them getting the spoon.

11th. Carlton 4-7 -> A "meh" kind of a year.

I was spot on with the wins/losses, just wrong on the position (by percentage). They finished 14th.

12th. Port Adelaide 4-7 -> Talented recruit to miss the year. Another development year. 2025 is when whips need to get cracking.

I got the wins and losses around the wrong way and missed by 6 spots (6th).

13th. Fremantle 4-7 -> Might claim a scalp or two still in WA from travelling sides feeling the pinch of the compressed season.

Wowsers! Missed that by 4 wins and 8 spots (5th). Lost their captain to injury. Aine Tighe to injury. No Bowers. Should have been a recipe for disaster, but wasn't. Bravo to coach Lisa Webb.

14th. Essendon 3-8 -> The great pretenders. Made finals last year from a soft draw. Will be exposed this season.

Missed by 6 spots (8th) and 3.5 wins, but I'm claiming a morale victory. Finished 8th but played like a team that should have been 14th. What probably helped the win column was sides more fell away this year (Suns, Swans, Dees) than Essendon actually improving. Case in point Dogs v Dons. No way should a squad like that have been in a close scrap with the Dogs, needing two goals from 50m penalties to bail them out.

15th. Hawthorn 3-8 -> Any reason to suggest any improvement from the Hawks? Can the new coach weave any magic?

A new coach, a couple of recruits from Melbourne, and BOOM. I'm wrong by 13 spots and 7 wins

16th. Western Bulldogs 2-9 -> The rebuild begins at the Kennel.

I was off by 2 wins and 4 spots (12th). I was correct about a rebuild, and it was even more so after they lost Ellie Blackburn early in the year.

17th. West Coast 2-9 -> All eyes on Daisy. Not really about the wins, but interest in how the Eagles will play

Also missed by 2 wins and 4 spots (13th).

18th. GWS Giants 2-9 -> Just burn it all down and start again.

Missed by two spots (16th) and half a win. How they still haven't booted their coach yet shocks me. Where is the improvement going to come from?

 

[Teen Wolf]

West Coast got rid of Prior, otherwise Roberts and Thomas were out of there. Gold Coast sacked Joyce, otherwise Rowbottom and D'Arcy would've left.

Fair to say Dal Santo is well liked by his team. Unless there's a risk of a top talent exodus, I don't think St Kilda or GWS are going to make a coaching change anytime soon. Parker has a player option for 2026-27, so her mindset could determine Bernasconi's future.