Expectations and predictions for 2018

[MrDanggazz]

hey guys, starting this up for people to come and put out predictions or expectations, I’ll start it off with the first 10 rounds, within the first 10 games (we do play 6 at home, thank you Gold Coast) we play 7 finalists from 2017 I would think a reasonable outcome would be to win against 2 finalists and 3 against non finalists.
Share your thoughts below for discussion.

 

[Galvo]

Here's my predictions

Best 22:
FB: Wilson Hamling Logue
HB: Blakely A.Pearce Ryan
C: Langdon Fyfe B.Hill
HF: McCarthy Cox Bennell
FF: Matera Darcy Walters
R: Sanidlands S.Hill Neale
Int: Mundy Cerra Brayshaw Tucker

Emg: Crowden, Grey, Sheridan, Taberner

Finish: 6th
Wins: 14
Doig: N.Fyfe
Beacon: Brayshaw
Most Goal: M.Walters 44

Round 1 Saturday, March 24 PORT v FRE · Loss
Round 2 Saturday, March 31 FRE v ESS ·Win
Round 3 Saturday, April 07 GCFC v FRE ·Win
Round 4 Saturday, April 14 GWS v FRE · Loss
Round 5 Saturday, April 21 FRE v WB · Win
Round 6 Sunday, April 29 FRE v WCE · Win
Round 7 Sunday, May 06 RICH v FRE · Loss
Round 8 Saturday, May 12 FRE v STK · Win
Round 9 Saturday, May 19 SYD v FRE · Loss
Round 10 Sunday, May 27 FRE v NMFC · Win
Round 11 Sunday, June 03 COLL v FRE · Win
Round 12 Sunday, June 10 FRE v ADEL · Loss
Round 13 Saturday, June 16 CARL v FRE ·Win
Round 14 BYE
Round 15 Sunday, July 01 FRE v BL · Win
Round 16 Saturday, July 07 MELB v FRE · Win
Round 17 Sunday, July 15 FRE v PORT · Loss
Round 18 Saturday, July 21 ESS v FRE · Win
Round 19 Sunday, July 29 FRE v HAW · Loss
Round 20 Sunday, August 05 WCE v FRE · Win
Round 21 Sunday, August 12 FRE v CARL ·Win
Round 22 Saturday, August 18 GEEL v FRE · Loss
Round 23 Friday, August 24 FRE v COLL · Win

 

[Dirty_banchez]

We will get flogged off the park Rd 1 and be bottom 4 by the end of round 10. Our descent into madness will be complete but our journey down the River Styx will have only just begun.

 

[Tbonefreo]

I dont think port are as sure a win as expected. Hopefully we pull one of our 'round one specials'. We havent had one for a while.

Brayshaw/Cerra to show their stuff early

 

[Monument Hills]

11th place with fewer big losses and the best kids on the park with Sandi, MJ and Spurr phased out by the end of the year. I don't expect too much as the home ground advantage is currently questionable, and our young players may be more skilled than in the past, but they are young and will get beaten up by bigger, stronger, and more experienced teams and will tire towards the end of the year. It's about getting 20+ games experience into as many of them as possible. The upside so far is that we appear to have less injuries since moving to Cockburn, particularly to key players, and I'm hoping we can maintain that.

On the other hand, I think the West Coast Bin Chickens will struggle a bit this year. The Subi home ground advantage will be gone, the two key rucks are coming back from long injury layoffs and are not young, their two recent extractors have retired, Yeo, McKenzie and JK are struggling to overcome injuries and we are only a month or so out from the pre-season games. Their kids have hardly played a game and Shuey and Gaff can't do it on their own against quality midfields. I think Gov, Barrass, Shepard and Hurn will send the ball out of defence well but I think the barrage against them through the midfield by quite a few teams will be too much resulting in quite a number of 'respectable' losses of 3-5 goals.

 

[Mr Fonebone]

I am a little glum about our prospects this season. This is not for the reason that we have a weak list. On the contrary, I think Lloyd and co are building a very talented list. Needs a bit of development but the potential is definitely there.

Rather, I am pessimistic for two reasons:

1. The coach. I really think that Ross Lyon's best days are past him. He seems to be inflexible and too invested in a defensive mind set. I will be very surprised if we have 2 wins by round 5. Lyon will start with the tried and tested and will not make changes until well into the season. Those changes will be transient as he will inevitably revert to his default game plan/style. In other words, this season will be a carbon copy of 2017. Goals will be hard to score because the system of attacking the goals will be substandard.

2. Fyfe's manbun. Seriously, Freo will never rise until the manbun of the captain goes. It is writ into the laws of the Universe. The manbun is an offence against God, country and Western Civilization. There. I said it.

 

[E Shed]

I dunno Mr Fonebone (love the Mad Mag reference).
Lyon showed at Saint Kilda if he's got weapons he's not afraid to use them and they were at one point they scored very heavily. He had a tendency to shut up shop once they got a certain amount in front and teams started to learn (as they did against us) that they were never out of the game as the blitzkrieg first halves would take it out of the players.
He hasn't had much to work with a for a while and i tend to think or at least hope that with beasts like Ryan, Wilson, Logue, A Pearce, Blakely running off the half back lines and Fyfe, Neale, Mundy, Walters getting to work in the middle he will have the expectation of freer flowing footy and higher scoring.
Thats what I'm telling myself anyway.
I have no predictions or expectations beyond I think we will look a lot more attractive with the better quality ball users we should be able to put out there. I think we've done amazing considering some of the average but hard working players we've had to rely on and I really believe smarter and better cattle will help us look a lot better. Whether that translates to beating more or less sides than the last couple of years, I guess it should.

 

[scon]

I have no doubt we've got an almost completely refurbished juggernaut under canvas in the shed.

 

[FreoMonocle]

Our forward line won't be a rabble as it was in 2017, but it is still missing skill, depth and experience. But as we are all saying, defence and midfield is shaping up to be fearsome.

l think we are going to lift by 8 - 10 points a game this year (1607 for last year to 1800ish) as the forward line won't be so dysfunctional and the ball will go forward with better quality, while reversing last years 2160 against us significantly back towards the miserly scores we used to concede - somewhere in the 1900 territory (and only blowing out to this because we can't put on enough scoreboard pressure).

This is just a precursor to some recruitment adjustments up forward at the end of the year - and the start of a red hot 2019 and beyond.

 

[FreoMonocle]

I have no doubt we've got an almost completely refurbished juggernaut under canvas in the shed.

"Mr. Ellis: [annoyed] It's not a model if it's full-scale, Tomkinson, it's an icebreaker. Tomkinson: Yes, it's good, isn't it, sir? It's got three engines, an enormous... Mr. Ellis: No no no, that's not the point. That is not a model. It'll be hell if this comes out at speech day exhibition. You're a very stupid boy building icebreakers like this"

 

[free at last]

Out points for will increase by a min of 10% & points against will decrease by a min of 15%...

 

[Kram]

10+ wins and no more being on the end of thrashings.

 

[E Shed]

"Mr. Ellis: [annoyed] It's not a model if it's full-scale, Tomkinson, it's an icebreaker. Tomkinson: Yes, it's good, isn't it, sir? It's got three engines, an enormous... Mr. Ellis: No no no, that's not the point. That is not a model. It'll be hell if this comes out at speech day exhibition. You're a very stupid boy building icebreakers like this"

I was 3 miles from Bracebridge before I was brought down by the school leopard . . .

 

[Righteo]

10+ wins and no more being on the end of thrashings.

Would take that in a heartbeat.

 

[Joao]

I expect 6-10 wins (injury dependent).

I predict that 2018 is another "glimpses" year where we are not able to maintain performance consistently in games or week to week, but look amazing when it all clicks. I also predict a couple of pantsings (on the road in Adelaide or Sydney) but perhaps more in the order of 10 goals than 15. Overall many here will be dissapointed but I will be pumped for 2019.

I also predict there will be at least 2 reasonably highly touted KPFs on the board for our first pick but we take another mid/utility/Hill. Also Carter goes MUCH later than is predicted as of now (30+).

 

[blue shark]

I dont think port are as sure a win as expected. Hopefully we pull one of our 'round one specials'. We havent had one for a while.

Brayshaw/Cerra to show their stuff early

By the sounds of the Port intraclub match they are working on congested footy, standouts SPP, Marshall. SPP will
definitely by gunning for Fyfe. Their forward line height could be a concern.
They easily accounted for WC over here, we better be prepared for an ambush 2014 style.

 

[more_of_bito]

8 wins at most. Would be happy to have APearce, Brayshaw, Cerra and Darcy in starting 22 by final round.

14th ahead of:
Brisbane
Carlton
Gold Coast
North

 

[Patty_Moz]

Last year from round 10 onwards we were the worst team in the league statistically with 2 wins from 13 games and a percentage of 63.

While that might not be accurate of exactly where we’re at it’s probably not far off.

By my count we only have about 8-10 players who a) have enough experience and b) are still in their prime. Many injuries to those guys and we are going to be hurting.

I think we’ll be bottom 3. But for me there’s a silver lining we have a young squad and I’m still excited for the year ahead and seeing what they can produce.

 

[Fred Ziffel]

15 wins.
We will be a very impressive team.

 

[Scham]

8 wins. 9 max. Good squad, coaching and sport science teams will let us down again.

Expect exciting things at Peel from the youngsters in particular Meek, Giro, Switta and North but they'll be too top heavy to win another flag.

 

[Joao]

8 wins. 9 max. Good squad, coaching and sport science teams will let us down again.

Expect exciting things at Peel from the youngsters in particular Meek, Giro, Switta and North but they'll be too top heavy to win another flag.

Think your prediction is about right, but totally disagree with the reasons.

We have 16 first or second year draftees, at least 1 (and arguably up to 4) 30+ players who are over the hill or noticeably on the decline. We also have no well performed primary KPF. We also have one our most talented players possibly not eligible to play this season under club ban and another player who has trouble just getting on the park on account of knee injuries. We also currently have 5 players whose number 1 position is ruck.

We might be a talented list (I am optimistic at least and I think many others are too) but relative to the competition, their is simply no evidence our squad is good (ie able to perform at a consistent high level). No reason to think with our list profile we should be winning more games than the 8 or 9 you predict - regardless of coaching or support staff.

 

[freo1997]

15 wins.
We will be a very impressive team.

That’s raising the bar for predictions! The comp is so tight these days it’s possible no one gets over 15 wins next season.


My prediction is we’ll be playing finals, winning 12 games keeping the pattern of Winning an extra 4 games from the year prior.

The rotation of Mundy/Fyfe at FF, The addition of Matera and a rejuvenated Kersten solving our Fwd Line issues. On a down note I can really see McCarthy continuing to struggle and being In and out of the best 22.

Our defense will get back to being the best in the business. Hamling gets an AA nomination nod, Pearce comes back strong and Wilson/Ryan running riot with their drive(something we haven’t seen since the Hayden/Black days) causing major headaches.

Besides Sandi not seeing out the season..the midfield goes fine. Sean Darcy becomes no 1 and Walters racks up plenty of Brownlow votes.

Bring on 2018.

 

[yakka man]

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/f...rs-are-still-miles-off-the-pace-ng-b88741048z

Just first class analysis from Karl Langdon. What a complete and utter pillock.

 

[blue shark]

https://www.perthnow.com.au/sport/f...rs-are-still-miles-off-the-pace-ng-b88741048z

Just first class analysis from Karl Langdon. What a complete and utter pillock.

Worst case scenario, and only if we don't improve at all, which is very negative. Improvement will come from Wilson,
Matera at both ends. Ruck is a strength, we have at least five on the list.
Drafted well with skilled, and several mature bodied players.
Would love to see how he rated his old team, many question marks on them midfield, ruck, small forwards.

 

[Docker82]

Playing a lot of the other crap sides at home will see us finish a lot higher than most neutrals expect.