We'll be bottom 2 IMO.

GWS and Gold Coast will climb ahead of us.

MFC and St Kilda will be bottom 2.

Essendon is an unknown atm.

I don't see us making the 8 in the next 5 years.

too many variables to predict a ladder finish

But I suspect the biggest impact on our performance will come from the Goodwin and McCartney additions

if they are as good as advertised, we will surprise a lot of people

But I suspect the biggest impact on our performance will come from the Goodwin and McCartney additions

if they are as good as advertised, we will surprise a lot of people

But where will they play?

I don't think they are best 22.

Looking at our draw I gave us a pretty realistic shot at 10 wins for the season. This year, GC had 10 wins o finish in 12th. Therefore I have to go with 12th place and 8-10 wins.

I can only see us being a better team than The Saints and possibly the Dogs. GWS will leave us in their wake if they have not already.

16th at best, maybe 6 wins.

Simon Goodwin would still be in our best 22 without a doubt.

I'm surprised by some of the predictions having us ranked so low. From an outsiders perspective I can certainly see why although I believe we will see the cogs finally turn a lot more.

As for where we finish I'm not sure, I don't think we'll make the eight but I won't be surprised if we end up just outside of it.

As for the season just past we saw a few patches of really nice contested and intense footy, we also saw some absolute rubbish where the players failed to turn up.

Furthermore there were certainly a few games there that we could have won, being the the two against both the Dogs and Port and the first match against the Saints (I'm sure I'm forgetting plenty too).

I believe at least the Bulldogs, Saints, and Carlton will be below us next year. If we have a good year we could also certainly be above GC, GWS, Essendon and potentially Brisbane, maybe even the Crows, WC and the Pies depending on how good and consistent we're talking.

I think the key to our success (injuries aside) is first and foremost improving our team orientated footy (mainly offensive) along with maintaining consistency in and between games, this will go hand in hand with individual improvements.

We need those currently in good form to maintain it whilst further improving - N.Jones (AA selection), Dunn, Jetta, Vince and Tyson. Garland needs to recapture his 2013 form, McDonald to improve his disposal, and Grimes to recapture those short glimpses of brilliance we once saw across the half backline before injury continually struck him down. Hopefully Hogan is named for round 1 after a strong pre-season. We certainly need Gawn or Spencer to step up and take it to another level as the Russian's days are numbered, and Viney and/or another midfielder (Michie, Riley, Newton competing for this spot) to take their game to a hole new level, that's just to name a few, we also have the likes of Howe and Watts from our 2014 list (I'm sure I'm forgetting some). Finally Garlett and Lumumba showing their previous bests after a fresh start.

too many variables to predict a ladder finish

But I suspect the biggest impact on our performance will come from the Goodwin and McCartney additions

if they are as good as advertised, we will surprise a lot of people

Given that McCartney won't be starting until Feb can we really bank on him having a big impact in 2015 given he'll be absent for most of the pre-season?

I believe at least the Bulldogs, Saints, and Carlton will be below us next year. If we have a good year we could also certainly be above GC, GWS, Essendon and potentially Brisbane, maybe even the Crows, WC and the Pies depending on how good and consistent we're talking.

Above GC, GWS, Brisbane, Crows, WC?

Tell him he's dreaming.

Agree we may finish ahead of Bulldogs, Saints, Carlton and Pies.

8 wins, placing us around 13th/14th on the ladder. I think saints, dogs & blues should be potentially below us, with GC in trouble if Gazza has another extended period on the sidelines & GWS still with weaknesses in their structure, so we could potentially jump back over them. The Dons, who knows what may unfold with their situation, hopefully they can't field a team at some point...... But I won't get any further ahead of myself than that. Long way to go yet, big pre season this, as always.

If we can win the first two games against GC and GWS and gain some momentum, then 10-12 wins must be achievable putting us close to the 8... however, if we don't, I fear we will finish bottom 4 again.

12-8

predict 6-7 wins ... 16th ahead of Saints and Blues.

Above GC, GWS, Brisbane, Crows, WC?

Tell him he's dreaming.

Agree we may finish ahead of Bulldogs, Saints, Carlton and Pies.

No no no, I think Dogs, Saints and Carlton are our bottom line but saying if the team can produce those highly competitive performances we saw for four quarters on a consistent basis and improve on them further we could go as high as that.

Go an watch Jeremy Howe's post season interview, he eludes to it perfectly.

People will start talking about the Dees again next year, and in a good way. 2015 IS the turn around year. Competitive, team based, winning football, that we saw plenty of times this year, but not bedded in enough to get the chocolates in all but 4 games. With the list improved, and the game plan consolidated, we will be just short of the finals.

The one spanner in this, as for ALL clubs, is injuries. It makes or breaks seasons.

Lost our last ten games, difficult to support the idea we will do any better next year, the list is poor, the coach has planned his exit, would take a miracle, but you live in hope.

Lost our last ten games, difficult to support the idea we will do any better next year, the list is poor, the coach has planned his exit, would take a miracle, but you live in hope.

Do you?

Do you?

Doesn't sound like it.

I think that if we win a lot of games we will be high on the ladder.

But if we lose a lot then we won't

If we win some and lose some then we'll be somewhere in the middle

All this crystal ball gazing is making me hungry. I'm off to make myself a bacon sandwich

14- 16

I like it!

Its crazy for people to be talking about the 8 realistically, but I love the fact that as supporters we are glass half full. But we have been the worst team for so many years, that coming off a season with 4 wins, its hard to see us winning an extra 8 games to make the finals. Improvement, another 20 games into players like Tyson, Viney, Salem, Kent, Toump, JKH, PIck 2 & 3 and Hogan yet to even play a game is what im looking for in 2015.

IMO I think we should aim for 6 wins and anything above that is a bonus. We have improved our list no doubt, but so have other teams.

If we can win the first two games against GC and GWS and gain some momentum, then 10-12 wins must be achievable putting us close to the 8... however, if we don't, I fear we will finish bottom 4 again.

If we lose those two hardtack we will very likely be 0 and 7 going into the game against the Dogs.

There will be a lot of sad faces if that happens

Its crazy for people to be talking about the 8 realistically, but I love the fact that as supporters we are glass half full. But we have been the worst team for so many years, that coming off a season with 4 wins, its hard to see us winning an extra 8 games to make the finals. Improvement, another 20 games into players like Tyson, Viney, Salem, Kent, Toump, JKH, PIck 2 & 3 and Hogan yet to even play a game is what im looking for in 2015.

IMO I think we should aim for 6 wins and anything above that is a bonus. We have improved our list no doubt, but so have other teams.

Some sanity

8-10 wins 12th

Lost our last ten games, difficult to support the idea we will do any better next year, the list is poor, the coach has planned his exit, would take a miracle, but you live in hope.

The list is far better already for this seasons trade and purge. A little icing to come List not brilliant but garnering some ability to play and compete. Glaring gaps filled. How well, well that's what we'll see. Coach not so much exiting as re deploying elsewhere at club.

There are a lot of games that are won or lost on momentum. We couldn't kick a score. We were still O|IN THERE at times against teams many thought wed be shellacked by.

The 8 is probably fanciful but the difference between 4 and 8-9 wins might only be a dozen goals..

its not as simple as many think in terms of we are useless. We have't been cohesive . We will get better...