Ladder in order:

1. Fremantle

2. Western Bulldogs

3. Carlton

4. Brisbane

5. Collingwood

6. Melbourne

7. Adelaide

8. GWS

I've got a better chance at predicting tonight lotto numbers 

1. Melbourne

7 hours ago, Goodvibes said:

Ladder in order:

1. Fremantle

2. Western Bulldogs

3. Carlton

4. Brisbane

5. Collingwood

6. Melbourne

7. Adelaide

8. GWS

Why Goodvibes? Do you have any knowledge more than "the average bear" or are you just guessing?

I went to see the girls train and I must admit I wouldn't be tipping them to win anything but my only referance is the boys training, I wouldn't have a clue how we stack up against the other girls teams.

1 hour ago, deespicable me said:

Why Goodvibes? Do you have any knowledge more than "the average bear" or are you just guessing?

Michelle Cowan is probably one big reason

9 hours ago, deespicable me said:

Why Goodvibes? Do you have any knowledge more than "the average bear" or are you just guessing?

A little more knowledge than the average bear but like most prediction threads I'm having a bit of a stab in the dark. I'm a little disappointed with the drafting of Melbourne. WA footy is really strong and with the Victorian talent split 4 ways I think Freo are a clear favourite. Brisbane have a solid team with some exciting young talent. And sadly, I think Western Bulldogs and Carlton have drafted the best of the Victorian teams. I don't believe South Australia or NSW should have been given a team as their development and commitment to Female Footy has been significantly behind other states. I think they'll both struggle.

8 hours ago, Goodvibes said:

A little more knowledge than the average bear but like most prediction threads I'm having a bit of a stab in the dark. I'm a little disappointed with the drafting of Melbourne. WA footy is really strong and with the Victorian talent split 4 ways I think Freo are a clear favourite. Brisbane have a solid team with some exciting young talent. And sadly, I think Western Bulldogs and Carlton have drafted the best of the Victorian teams. I don't believe South Australia or NSW should have been given a team as their development and commitment to Female Footy has been significantly behind other states. I think they'll both struggle.

Thanks for that, good info. I'm going to follow it in the New Year, I think it's slotted into a good time as a lead in to the big boys games and I hope our girls go better than maybe both of us think.

Brissie with the twin towers of Sabrina and Tayla will be the team causing the biggest headaches for backline players

Here are my thoughts on the sides.  I've watched most of the exhibition games, so I have a reasonable idea of the top end talent at least.  I can't claim to be any sort of expert on the leagues though, so there are probably some players I'm criminally underrating.  Still, it was a fun excuse to have a look through the lists and see what's been happening. 

On 16/12/2016 at 6:16 PM, Redbeard said:

Brissie with the twin towers of Sabrina and Tayla will be the team causing the biggest headaches for backline players

I can't agree with that.  Sabrina would need to improve her mobility a hell of a lot to really be a problem and from what I've seen they have a habit of plugging holes with Tayla rather than letting her settle in one position.  She can't do it all on her own.  Also, Check out the Collingwood Forwards. 

 

Adelaide have made a great move in snaring Chelsea Randall as their first marquee signing.  She's an absolute gun and should be Captain for their side.  I have no idea how Fremantle let her go to SA, but well done to the Crows for pulling it off.  They also have Abby Holmes up forward to provide a quality target.  They have a good mix of youth and experience, some quality athletes from other sports and serious goal-scoring power.  I rate them pretty highly. 

Brisbane may have a case for most attractive side in the league, but I think they'll be shown up badly for the first few seasons.  Tayla Harris could well be the best player in the league in five years, but she's not there yet.  I have a suspicion that Frederick-Traud may struggle with the pace of the game as well.  I don't think there is enough midfield talent there to make them a real threat this season. 

Carlton have gone with bookends for their marquee players.  Vescio played for the Bulldogs in their exhibition side, and has good pace and skills.  I'd consider her ore of a HFF or FP than a KPF.  At the other end is Bree Davey, the former keeper for the Matildas (If we're being honest, she held the spot by default because Williams and Dumont were both injured and Barbieri had retired, but she still represented Australia). Davey isn't the best athlete, but she's always been blessed with lightning quick hands which translate well. They have some quite decent mids as well, with the Hosking Twins among several to have played in the exhibition games.   

Collingwood have a deadly forward line led by The Great Moana Hope.  Quite frankly I'm tempted to put them on top of the ladder just for her sake.  She is an awesome player and a goal-scoring machine.  Backing her up is Jess Cameron, formerly of the Demons and the Australian Wicket Keeper and opening Bat prior to that. You may remember her kicking five for up earlier this year.  Looking at the rest of their list though, I see Helen Roden who just isn't that great, Hutchins I seem to recall being soundly beaten in several exhibition games and Cula-Reid played a few games but wasn't noteworthy. Their second marquee signing was a 19 year old ruck prospect.  Given their fairly average mids I hope she's good at getting them first use. 

Fremantle have a great coach who has had years in a professional environment to refine her craft (Not at all bitter about that).  Player-wise I don't really rate their marquee signings that highly, but they grabbed Ebony Antonio as a priority selection and she can do some real damage as a rebounding HBF.  They've pulled heavily from the WA leagues, as expected, but I don't see them winning it just yet. 

GWS have already lost one marquee player to an ACL.  Their other Marquee is Emma Swanson who represented Melbourne this year in the exhibition games and as such is clearly an excellent choice.  They have cast the net far and wide, pulling in professional basketball and soccer players as well as quite a few West Australians.  I'm not really sure what to make of the side though.  I don't see any standout names from the exhibition sides in there.  The players they do have weren't noteworthy.  Either they have pulled some amazing talent from the far corners of our non-square nation, or they might just be a disaster. 

Melbourne quite naturally signed Daisy Pearce the moment marquee players were available.  She has been the face of Women's Football since we drafted her at no.1 in the first ever Women's Draft and represented the MFC with distinction.  More importantly, she's the best player in the country.  There's no doubt that she'll be our Captain.  Mel Hickey was more of a surprise. A 30+ CHB when we basically had our pick of the best talent in the country?  I'll be honest and admit that I would have preferred Ellie Blackburn to complement Pearce.  Still, there is method to their madness. Hickey is one of the few players in the league who can go with the likes of Mo Hope, Abby Holmes or either of Brisbane's Marquees. She will be the rock holding our defence together.  We have held on to several of our players from the exhibition games, but not the best of them.  Look for some new faces taking spots from them.  I have concerns about our ability to score with the loss of Tayla Harris, Sabrina Frederick-Traub and Jess Cameron.  We have held on to Lauren Pearce though, so our ruck is looking quite decent. 

The Bulldogs saw their chance and snapped up Ellie Blackburn as a Marquee Signing along with Katie Brennan.  Blackburn will go head to head with Daisy Pearce in round two trying to prove that she should be considered the top mid in the game.  That battle will be worth the price of admission on it's own.  I'll say again I wish we'd held to to her instead of Hickey.  It would have given us the best midfield in the league to build our side around.  Brennan is a good forward, although not in the same league as Hope or Harris, and she can move into the midfield and absolutely dominate with her size and power.  They've held on to a good group of players from their exhibition sides as well.  I think the gameplan they beat us with in the last exhibition game is what we can expect in the upcoming season.  Lots of pace and outside movement. 

Ladder:

Bulldogs - They have most bases covered.  Strong Midfield and decent forward line.  I think their gameplan suits the new rules too. 

Adelaide - Like the Doggies, I think they have a really well-rounded side.  They don't have the best on any given line, but they have quality all over.

Collingwood - Can't go past that forward line.  We know that midfields are essential, but they have so much scoring power available to them. 

Melbourne - We have good experience in the middle and back, but I think we'll struggle to score.  Should be some advantage in having the off-field structures set up and running well. 

Fremantle - They have a great coach but the list isn't the best. 

Carlton - I'm not buying what they're selling.  No real star power or A-grade talent.

GWS - I have no idea if this is accurate.  Their side is a mystery to me.  They have recruited from some pretty weak areas, but are they still weak in the women's game? 

Brisbane - Maybe in a few years.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Who knows?

I may have sold Carlton short there.  Their bash and crash style seems to translate well and is doing a good job of nullifying the skills of their opponents.  It's also interesting to see that they are managing to double- and triple-team Hope and take her completely out of the game.  You'd hope (no pun intended) that Collingwood would have a better structure than that, but they really do seem to just bomb it to her and wait for the star to do something amazing. 

Sticking with my prediction I did at work 2 weeks ago at work.

1: Carlton
2: Brisbane
3: Adelaide
4: Fremantle
5: Bulldogs
6: Collingwood
7: Melbourne
8: GWS

Carlton looking the goods!
Never really saw Collingwood as a threat even with Mo Hope in it
Not as good as shes hyped up to be and with 93% time on the ground and 4 possies it isn't going to get much better.
Brisbane have a powerful Forward line but not sold on around the ground but if they can get it in there they'll score
 

Adelaide have lived up to expectations today. They hammered GWS. Chelsea had 16 and Erin Phillips had 15 and 3 goals 3 playing ruck. Very strong side.

 

Meanwhile the Doggies are starting to dominate against Freo after an even first half. Freo are playing a genuine tagger on Blackburn and appear to have a Ballantyne clone as well. 

So far we have two vrry predictable results and one shocker. I never would have expected Collingwood to be that inept or Carlton to be able to score that freely. 

All winners are sitting at around 400%, so we need to go in hard against the Loins and really stick the boot in. 

14 hours ago, RalphiusMaximus said:

So far we have two vrry predictable results and one shocker. I never would have expected Collingwood to be that inept or Carlton to be able to score that freely. 

All winners are sitting at around 400%, so we need to go in hard against the Loins and really stick the boot in. 

Yes, especially as there is no Finals Series - the top 2 teams automatically playoff for the Grand Final.  With only 7 games there is every chance the ladder positions will be decided on percentage.  

The 3 winners so far have a huge head start with % around 400%.  Lets hope we can be up there with them at the end of today! 

Really hope we are in the top 2. It would be fitting if the Bulldogs are top 2 as well!  Playing off in the Grand Final might soothe the sting for not having the inaugural game and all the history that goes with it.

I think we saw the grand final preview yesterday. Freo will get better.

 

1: Bulldogs
2. Carlton
3: Adelaide
4: Melbourne
5: Brisbane
6: GWS
7: Fremantle
8: Collingwood

 

Ladder:

Bulldogs 

Adelaide 

Carlton 

Melbourne 

Fremantle 

Collingwood

GWS 

Brisbane 

•  

Bulldogs 

Adelaide 

Carlton 

Brisbane

Melbourne 

Fremantle 

Collingwood

GWS 

 

Brisbane are much better than that CBDees. i fear we'll find that out in a few hours time

 

 

 

1 minute ago, Goodvibes said:

Brisbane are much better than that CBDees. i fear we'll find that out in a few hours time

 

 

 

If they beat us I will gladly swap them for Collingwood.

10 hours ago, Goodvibes said:

Brisbane are much better than that CBDees. i fear we'll find that out in a few hours time

 

Brisbane are ordinary.  They scored one goal on their own today.  The others were charity.  As bad as we were, if that worthless umpire hadn't been at the ground we still beat them. 

On 16/12/2016 at 6:16 PM, Redbeard said:

Brissie with the twin towers of Sabrina and Tayla will be the team causing the biggest headaches for backline players

 

On 06/02/2017 at 0:12 AM, RalphiusMaximus said:

Brisbane are ordinary.  They scored one goal on their own today.  The others were charity.  As bad as we were, if that worthless umpire hadn't been at the ground we still beat them. 

OK, I admit I may have sold Brisbane a little short.  They've been bloody good all season and I suspect the game against us was their worst showing by a pretty fair margin. 

On 18/12/2016 at 11:03 PM, RalphiusMaximus said:

Ladder:

Bulldogs - They have most bases covered.  Strong Midfield and decent forward line.  I think their gameplan suits the new rules too. 

Adelaide - Like the Doggies, I think they have a really well-rounded side.  They don't have the best on any given line, but they have quality all over.

Collingwood - Can't go past that forward line.  We know that midfields are essential, but they have so much scoring power available to them. 

Melbourne - We have good experience in the middle and back, but I think we'll struggle to score.  Should be some advantage in having the off-field structures set up and running well. 

Fremantle - They have a great coach but the list isn't the best. 

Carlton - I'm not buying what they're selling.  No real star power or A-grade talent.

GWS - I have no idea if this is accurate.  Their side is a mystery to me.  They have recruited from some pretty weak areas, but are they still weak in the women's game? 

Brisbane - Maybe in a few years.  Maybe I'm wrong.  Who knows?

Actual Ladder at the end of the season:

Brisbane - I'm seriously impressed with this outfit.  Way better than I thought they'd be, very quick through the midfield and their forwards have held up well.  Seriously who had heard the name Kate McCarthy at the start of the season? 

Adelaide - Exactly as expected.  They are a really solid side with pretty much every base covered.  Sarah Perkins has been the surprise of the season with her goal tally and growing cult following.  I heard she was the last player picked for their list.  Nice bit of recruiting and a huge reward for her. 

Melbourne - We turned out better than I had expected and gave the top two a serious shake.  If only we'd kicked another goal against GWS...  I am seriously excited by our midfield though.  Pearce, Paxman, O'Dea and even Mithen are looking like a hell of a good onball unit and we have some great runners as well.  Mifsud finishing third in the goalkicking is nice as well. 

Carlton - Way better than I thought they'd be, largely on the back of Darcy Vescio and Bree Davey.  I would never have picked Vescio to win the goalkicking, but she's a freak at ground level and they played to her strengths. 

Collingwood - My biggest disappointment of the season was Moana Hope.  After what she showed in the exhibition game I thought she'd tear this season apart, but she barely gave a whimper.  Admittedly she was often against multiple opponents, but you'd hope she could get on her bike and find some space.  The Pies as a whole were exactly like a middle of the road side.  They couldn't hold up against decent sides and won three against the bottom sides. 

Bulldogs - Another disappointing side.  I rated them really highly, but they just couldn't kick scores.  A few injuries didn't help, but I think they seriously underperformed and should have done a hell of a lot better. 

Fremantle - Had a shocking run with injuries to some key players, but even so they just didn't show us anything.  They're athletic and fast at times, but no real skills and again struggled to score all season.  Cowan didn't have as much of an impact as I had expected. 

GWS - Lost their marquee players before the season and never even looked like recovering.  They're a rabble who, like their AFL counterparts, are going to be hoarding early draft picks for the nest few seasons to top up on talent.  Their one win was sadly the one that kept us out of the GF, a three goals to one scramble during a hurricane where we kicked one goal nine to go down by a measly five points.  Anyway, nothing to see here.