Who Will Win The 2021 Premiership

[Chinacats]

Why?

Good question. Cats have experienced enough to get it right for once maybe. Each team has their vulnerabilities. Injuries, luck and peaking at the right time will set teams apart.
Any of top 4 and swans could edge it.

 

[TheWhiteRhino]

Jesus, you must have hated Sydney’s style in the 0s then.

Yep, and Cats is worse because it's not my team

 

[Footy_Fan2007]

Yep, and Cats is worse because it's not my team

Makes sense….

 

[adamgreen]

Posters make heaps of the Demons lack of finals form. And yet they've beaten everyone in the 8 this year. I don’t think the mental side of things is relevant for them this year. Form and injuries will.

One the other hand, the Cats over the last decade have choked on multiple occasions. And I really do mean choked. They will feel it in September more than any other team.

Ok mate, because what has happened in the finals in the past decade has a bearing in 2021. Your mob wont even make the finals to choke!

 

[WallyStringhaus]

I know a lot of this thread is posturing and "bar room talk" but geez, if you think only one or two teams can win it you haven't been paying attention for the past 100 years.

History is littered with close prelims and depending on matchups there are 3-4 and sometimes 5 teams that can win it all.

I'm realistic enough to know that if Isaac Smith

7

Isaac Smith

Age

35

Ht

188cm

Wt

83kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

13.0

5star

HB

8.4

5star

M

5.5

5star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.7

4star

D

19.4

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.3

4star

M

3.8

4star

T

2.5

3star

CL

1.3

4star

D

19.2

5star

K

10.6

4star

HB

8.6

5star

M

7.6

5star

T

2.0

4star

CL

0.6

3star

had have kicked that goal after the siren in 2016, that there is every chance that my Doggies could have been knocked out in week 2 of the finals. The Cats were a nightmare matchup for us and we managed to avoid them and go on to win it all.

The top 5 teams are all realistic chances;

Dees: Defence stands up every week, A+ on ball talent, hard as nails and pressure well. Haven't had any major injury concerns.

Dogs: Haven't had their preferred ruck/forward structure since Rnd 6 at which point they were 6-0 with a % of 175. Stacked midfield. Have genuine x factor, match winning types. Need Wood and Gardner back to be any chance.

Cats: Strong, experienced, beautifully structured. Top of the ladder as we speak despite Danger, Cameron and Duncan missing large chunks of the season. Should be flag fav's. No Tigers to stop them this year...maybe.

Lions: Gun midfield. X factor everywhere with Charlie, Lincoln, Bailey and Zorko. Been through a few years of disappointment together and stayed strong. Losing Hipwood and Adams hurts.

Power: Another team who's game style has been hampered by injuries to key players. A fit and firing Butters, Duursma, Fantasia and Robbie Gray

9

Robbie Gray

Age

36

Ht

183cm

Wt

84kg

Pos.

Fwd

Career

Season

Last 5

D

19.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

10.1

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

3.2

5star

G

1.4

5star

D

13.3

3star

K

6.0

2star

HB

7.3

4star

M

2.4

3star

T

2.6

4star

G

0.6

4star

D

10.4

3star

K

6.6

3star

HB

3.8

3star

M

3.6

4star

T

1.4

4star

G

1.4

5star

make them as dangerous as anyone.

And...

Tigers: Scare the absolute shit out of me.

 

[00Stinger]

Good question. Cats have experienced enough to get it right for once maybe. Each team has their vulnerabilities. Injuries, luck and peaking at the right time will set teams apart.
Any of top 4 and swans could edge it.

Like 2018 when the two teams last meet in a finals game?

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

 

[WillHayward]

Put a line through Lions.
Can't win without Hipwood.
Huge loss they cannot cover.

Opens door for Saints and Swans.

At this stage Geelong favourites. Then the mighty Dees second and Doggies third.

 

[Xtreme]

Melbourne are the only team left that can win it from here

Take them out and then it's anyone's ball game!

 

[GastevsBeard]

Geelong - I think there absolute best edges all other contenders this year - & they match up favourably against the other contenders

Melbourne - have been the most consistent team, & seem to have the stingiest defence. Potentially Hawkins/Cameron/Rohan versus the Dees defensive system would be the perfect Grand Final

Dogs & Lions have had enough poor games now for me to have lost trust as genuine contenders

& if Richmond make it ... with a weeks break, & time for the cavalry to arrive, clearly the joker in the pack. Have the potential to roll any side at their best

 

[schmuttt]

I'm still taking the best of Dogs/Lions/Melb/Richmond over Geelong this year in the finals (Reckon Richmond will be out by the 2nd week but).

 

[CountTraccula]

I'm still taking the best of Dogs/Lions/Melb/Richmond over Geelong this year in the finals (Reckon Richmond will be out by the 2nd week but).

Wouldn't be too sure of that, particularly given they've got all lines well covered with star talent, bar an A grade centre square ruck.

Edit: I'm very bullish about Melbourne's chances this season and think our best stacks up against anyone, but if we were to come up against them in a final it would be a genuinely tough battle between our admittedly very strong defence and their extremely dangerous forward-line. If Geelong is at their best - then Cameron, Hawkins, Rohan and Dangerfield are all capable of kicking multiple goals in a night, plus the likes of Duncan etc, so it certainly won't be the easiest job to nullify that.

 

[Tristan34]

I'm still taking the best of Dogs/Lions/Melb/Richmond over Geelong this year in the finals (Reckon Richmond will be out by the 2nd week but).

Tigers wont even make the finals..

 

[Whiskers]

Tigers wont even make the finals..

Why do you think this? They are going to get plenty back over the next few weeks.
The other sides fighting for 7th and 8th are absolute rubbish.

 

[dean33]

Why do you think this? They are going to get plenty back over the next few weeks.
The other sides fighting for 7th and 8th are absolute rubbish.

We are getting some back but we are also losing more each time we play. Macintosh to miss a few weeks and if dusty joins him that’s almost fatal. Next week against your boys is huge now, a loss and we’d have to win each of our remaining games to maybe scrap in. Agree though the other teams fighting for those last 2 spots aren’t great.

 

[Andy_Mac]

I think the Dee's are the team to beat, but Geelongs absolute best is better. If that makes sense.

Our defensive structure is elite. May vs. Hawkins, Petty vs. Cameron, Hibbo vs. Rohan with Lever floating is a good structure, but if Cameron and Hawk get on a roll I worry that you just can't stop it.

I think Brisbane are going to struggle with Eric out, and I don't think they can win on the road so would have to finish top 2 or hope covid falls there way again.

Dogs midfield is epic, but they are so fickle. I think Caleb Daniel

35

Caleb Daniel

Age

28

Ht

171cm

Wt

72kg

Pos.

M/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

21.3

5star

K

11.5

4star

HB

9.8

5star

M

3.5

4star

T

2.9

4star

CL

1.4

4star

D

19.5

4star

K

11.1

4star

HB

8.4

4star

M

3.6

4star

T

2.0

3star

CL

1.0

3star

D

16.4

4star

K

7.2

3star

HB

9.2

5star

M

3.4

4star

T

2.6

4star

CL

0.2

2star

is the key to beating the dogs. Stop his run off half back and they look static.

 

[Wojcinski]

Like 2018 when the two teams last meet in a finals game?

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

the most correct and sensible take I've read in here. Cats can't win it, they lost an EF 3 years ago

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Bulldogs have lost Treloar, Dunks, Richards, English, Martin, Vandemeir, McLean and Williams for weeks at a time, usually when we really need them against a top four candidate. These players are all best 22.

One of those players is so important you can't even spell his name correctly.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

Melbourne are the team to beat.

They've beaten all of the other sides contending for the top 4 so that's logic that's hard to argue against.

 

[00Stinger]

the most correct and sensible take I've read in here. Cats can't win it, they lost an EF 3 years ago

No different to saying Melbourne are less likely to win it over Geelong as Geelong has more exposed form of falling short in big finals

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

 

[Chinacats]

Brisbane a bit flat RIGHT NOW.
Swans flying RIGHT NOW.
Dees, dogs, cats doing enough RIGHT NOW.
The key is to be playing swans like football in the last 3 weeks. Lions could still turn it around and any of the others could find their mojo. Still open!

 

[Chinacats]

Melbourne are the team to beat.

They've beaten all of the other sides contending for the top 4 so that's logic that's hard to argue against.

3-3 in last six though. Forward line connectivity and cohesion still a work in progress. Could definitely get it right in the last 3 weeks. Yes top 8 form excellent but that belongs to the past now.

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

3-3 in last six though. Forward line connectivity and cohesion still a work in progress. Could definitely get it right in the last 3 weeks. Yes top 8 form excellent but that belongs to the past now.

All teams have bad patches during a season. The fact that Melbourne have played their best footy against other contenders counts for a lot imo.

 

[00Stinger]

3-3 in last six though. Forward line connectivity and cohesion still a work in progress. Could definitely get it right in the last 3 weeks. Yes top 8 form excellent but that belongs to the past now.

4-2 with comfortable wins v 3 of the top5

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

 

[Jhye Clark 13]

3-3 in last six though. Forward line connectivity and cohesion still a work in progress. Could definitely get it right in the last 3 weeks. Yes top 8 form excellent but that belongs to the past now.

Geelong have won 9 of the last 10.

 

[Chinacats]

4-2 with comfortable wins v 3 of the top5

Sent from my SM-G981B using Tapatalk

Yes you’re right. 4-3 after being 9-0. Top 8 wins galore. Dees would be favorite I think.