Who will be better in 2025? Saints, Demons or Bombers

[Nvent]

Saints.

Think Pou NWM Henry King have so much match winning ability.

 

[Saints4ever]

Saints.

Think Pou NWM Henry King have so much match winning ability.

MaCrae giving some inside grunt will help Steele also.

 

[Mr Meow]

No, you undersell Oliver.

Oliver played last year with a fractured thumb, was unfit and fat, and had a knee issue that required surgery at year's end.

At his best, most Melbourne supporters have him as our best player.

The late Phil Walsh's favourite stat was ground-ball gets. He thought it was super important. Oliver was number one in this stat for 5 of 6 years between 2017 and 2022. I think people (not you) forget how good he was.

At just 27 it boggles the mind why people don't think he can return to his best. He's happy, injury free and hasn't missed a beat all preseason.

No doubt Cat's fans would be talking him up if he'd joined the hand baggers last trade period.

Actually you can check our trade thread, most of us were against the potential move. Massive relief.

Oliver was great in 2021. We aren't in 2021 anymore.

 

[rye]

Actually you can check our trade thread, most of us were against the potential move. Massive relief.

Oliver was great in 2021. We aren't in 2021 anymore.

its amazing the thumb, the knee, the fitness gets a mention but not the underlying issue.

to put it kindly his 'professionalism' over the last two seasons has been dreadful. you dont get floated as trade bait two years running if there arent serious ongoing concerns.

 

[Trav 20]

Actually you can check our trade thread, most of us were against the potential move. Massive relief.

Oliver was great in 2021. We aren't in 2021 anymore.

He won the AFLCA vote in 2022 for a second time and also made AA for a third time. You know, the year after 2021.

He's 27. He's seven and a half years younger than Dangerfield and nearly 10 younger than Pendlebury.

You'd have to be a very odd person to suggest a midfielder is done at 27 after a poor 18 months, mainly due to injury.

No disrespect, but your opinion is useless to me.

 

[PhatBoy]

He won the AFLCA vote in 2022 for a second time and also made AA for a third time. You know, the year after 2021.

He's 27. He's seven and a half years younger than Dangerfield and nearly 10 younger than Pendlebury.

You'd have to be a very odd person to suggest a midfielder is done at 27 after a poor 18 months, mainly due to injury.

No disrespect, but your opinion is useless to me.

I don’t think it’s his injuries that anyone is worried have hurt his chances of getting back to where he was.

Sport is littered with examples of personal issues be they mental health issues, addiction issues (and no I’m not suggesting he has one I’m just using it as an example), motivation issues, or players simply can’t recapture whatever it was that made them great in the first place.

A really good rugby league example is Anthony Milford: he played for Canberra and was absolutely dynamic there and had the world at his feet and left and went to Brisbane and started out where he left off and got a couple of games at State of Origin level as recognition.

Had a few issues just with not seeming to be able to find his role within the side, some injuries, or his best position and by the time he was 26 he basically was told he didn’t have a spot anymore and he’s had a couple of stints with Newcastle and the Dolphins since and now he’s playing Queensland Cup and won’t probably play NRL again.

There is absolutely no reason to suggest Oliver will suffer the same fate of course. But it does happen, with seemingly no rhyme or reason, from time to time.

 

[Mr Meow]

He won the AFLCA vote in 2022 for a second time and also made AA for a third time. You know, the year after 2021.

He's 27. He's seven and a half years younger than Dangerfield and nearly 10 younger than Pendlebury.

You'd have to be a very odd person to suggest a midfielder is done at 27 after a poor 18 months, mainly due to injury.

No disrespect, but your opinion is useless to me.

No need for the ad hominem with the "you'd have to be nuts" stuff. You're usually better than that. We disagree about whether Oliver will return to his Coaches Association winning best form in 2025. That's fine. And your last sentence tells me you aren't interested in any sincere discussion anyway.

 

[BuffDog]

We have Melbourne’s first round pick and St Kilda’s second so hopefully we all suck.

 

[craffles]

All three sides had 11 wins in 2024 so you’re really trying to predict who has upside and who might slide.

Given the dees top line players should all be fit I can see them climbing. Saints have added Macrae and their kids get another year but I think their list is meh and well Essendon are just essendon these days .

1. Melbourne (climb)
2. Saints (hold / slide)
3. Essendon (slide)