2021 Herald Sun Predictions

[Demonland 72,236]

DAVID KING

Top Eight

1. Port Adelaide

2. Brisbane

3. Richmond

4. Western Bulldogs

5. Geelong

6. St Kilda

7. West Coast

8. Gold Coast

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: Hawthorn

Brownlow Medal: Matt Rowell

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Lynch

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Afternoon Mr R. Lyon : “I know it’s only Round 13 Ross, but can we chat to you about coaching _______ next year and beyond?” (x3 clubs!!)

JON RALPH

Top Eight

1. Richmond

2. Port Adelaide

3. Geelong

4. Brisbane

5. West Coast

6. St Kilda

7. Western Bulldogs

8. Collingwood

Premier: Brisbane

Wooden spoon: Hawthorn

Brownlow Medal: Christian Petracca

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Lynch

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Gillon McLachlan will cement his legacy with a timeline that sees Tasmania in the AFL by 2027 to create a truly national competition.

MARK ROBINSON

Top Eight

1. Brisbane

2. Richmond

3. Geelong

4. Port Adelaide

5. Western Bulldogs

6. West Coast

7. St Kilda

8. Carlton

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Christian Petracca

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Lynch

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Matt Rowell is good enough to give the double a shake: Rising Star and Brownlow Medal.

GLENN MCFARLANE

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. Richmond

3. Brisbane

4. Port Adelaide

5. Western Bulldogs

6. Collingwood

7. West Coast

8. St Kilda

Premier: Geelong

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Lynch

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Dustin Martin breaks his own record and wins a fourth Norm Smith Medal, albeit for the first time in a losing side.

SCOTT GULLAN

Top Eight

1. Western Bulldogs

2. Port Adelaide

3. Geelong

4. Brisbane

5. Collingwood

6. Richmond

7. Carlton

8. West Coast

Premier: Western Bulldogs

Wooden spoon: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Adam Treloar

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Jamarra Ugle-Hagan

Bold prediction: Nakia Cockatoo will finish top 10 in Brisbane's best-and-fairest.

JAY CLARK

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. Port Adelaide

3. West Coast

4. Western Bulldogs

5. Richmond

6. Brisbane

7. Collingwood

8. Melbourne

Premier: Geelong

Wooden spoon: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Patrick Cripps

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Premiership mastermind Alastair Clarkson to depart the Hawks this year.

CHRIS CAVANAGH

Top Eight

1. Richmond

2. West Coast

3. Geelong

4. Port Adelaide

5. Collingwood

6. Brisbane

7. Western Bulldogs

8. Melbourne

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Lynch

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Damien Hardwick to depart Richmond at season’s end as a four-time premiership coach.

BEN HORNE

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. Port Adelaide

3. Brisbane

4. Richmond

5. St Kilda

6. Western Bulldogs

7. Carlton

8. GWS

Premier: Port Adelaide

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Travis Boak

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: After late-season border shut downs across the country, the AFL moves all teams into Sydney hubs and schedules the second Grand Final to be played outside Victoria at ANZ Stadium.

SAM LANDSBERGER

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. Brisbane

3. Western Bulldogs

4. Richmond

5. West Coast

6. Port Adelaide

7. Carlton

8. Fremantle

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Brownlow Medal: Dustin Martin

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Joe Daniher

Rising Star: Dylan Stephens

Bold prediction: Bold prediction: Adem Yze replaces Simon Goodwin as coach of Melbourne, leading the club where he played 271 games.

NICK SMART

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. Port Adelaide

3. Brisbane

4. West Coast

5. Richmond

6. Western Bulldogs

7. St Kilda

8. Melbourne

Premier: Geelong

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: 2021 will be Nathan Buckley's final year as Collingwood coach after almost a decade in charge, with the Magpies committing to a full rebuild after sliding out of finals contention.

SIMEON THOMAS-WILSON

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. Port Adelaide

3. Brisbane

4. St Kilda

5. Richmond

6. Western Bulldogs

7. West Coast

8. Melbourne

Premier: Port Adelaide

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Patrick Cripps

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Lynch

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: The AFL ends the season with a new chief executive

MATT TURNER

Top Eight

1. Geelong

2. West Coast

3. Brisbane

4. Richmond

5. Port Adelaide

6. St Kilda

7. Western Bulldogs

8. Collingwood

Premier: Brisbane

Wooden spoon: Gold Coast

Brownlow Medal: Jack Steele

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Mark Williams to become interim coach of Melbourne after the Dees part ways with Simon Goodwin late in the season.

LIZ WALSH

Top Eight

1. Brisbane

2. Port Adelaide

3. Richmond

4. Western Bulldogs

5. St Kilda

6. West Coast

7. Geelong

8. Melbourne

Premier: Brisbane

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Charlie Dixon

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: In 2021, we'll see an all non-Victorian Grand Final.

MICHAEL WARNER

Top Eight

1. Richmond

2. Port Adelaide

3. Brisbane

4. West Coast

5. Geelong

6. Western Bulldogs

7. St Kilda

8. Collingwood

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Christian Petracca

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Will Phillips

Bold prediction: AFL commission commits to a team in Tasmania.

REBECCA WILLIAMS

Top Eight

1. Port Adelaide

2. Richmond

3. Brisbane

4. Geelong

5. West Coast

6. Western Bulldogs

7. Collingwood

8. St Kilda

Premier: Port Adelaide

Wooden spoon: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Hawkins

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: The AFL gets through the 2021 season unscathed by COVID and border hurdles

LAUREN WOOD

Top Eight

1. Richmond

2. Brisbane

3. Port Adelaide

4. Geelong

5. St Kilda

6. Collingwood

7. Sydney

8. Melbourne

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Travis Boak

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Charlie Dixon

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Joe Daniher to thrive in the sunshine state and finish in the top five of the Coleman Medal.

MICK MCGUANE

Top Eight

1. Port Adelaide

2. Richmond

3. West Coast

4. Brisbane

5. Geelong

6. Western Bulldogs

7. St Kilda

8. Fremantle

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: Hawthorn

Brownlow Medal: Lachie Neale

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Tom Hawkins

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Justin Longmuir, in only his second year as coach, can get the Dockers playing finals in 2021.

MICK MALTHOUSE

Top Eight

1. Port Adelaide

2. Geelong

3. Richmond

4. Western Bulldogs

5. St Kilda

6. Brisbane

7. Carlton

8. Gold Coast

Premier: Geelong

Wooden spoon: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Patrick Cripps

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Jeremy Cameron

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: West Coast and Fremantle will be forced into a hub because of the WA premier’s quarantine restrictions, which will have an adverse effect on both teams

DANIEL HOYNE

Top Eight

1. Richmond

2. West Coast

3. Geelong

4. Brisbane

5. Port Adelaide

6. Western Bulldogs

7. Collingwood

8. Melbourne

Premier: Richmond

Wooden spoon: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): Josh Kennedy

Rising Star: Matt Rowell

Bold prediction: Josh Kennedy and Jack Darling to combine for more goals than Jeremy Cameron and Tom Hawkins

SUMMARY

Top Eight: 7 out of 19 (All in 8th position)

Premier: 0

Wooden spoon: 0

Brownlow Medal: 3 x Christian Petracca

Coleman Medal (Most Goals): 0

Rising Star: 0

[binman 43,138]

Wow. 

Rock bottom confidence about the dees. 

[McQueen 17,865]

6 minutes ago, binman said:

Wow. 

Rock bottom confidence about the dees. 

And the Pies, GWS. 

[JimmyGadson 3,455]

12 minutes ago, binman said:

Wow. 

Rock bottom confidence about the dees. 

 

Not really a 'Wow' though, is it?

[Deeoldfart 8,035]

I'm moderately surprised at the lack of love for the Dees ......... but at least reading these predictions won't provide a lot of bathwater for our boys to drink.

[Ethan Tremblay 30,878]

Most surprising thing is they don't all have North as the wooden spooner's. Lock it in Eddie. 

[bandicoot 1,395]

3 below average years under goodwin. why would anyone think this will change?

[Diamond_Jim 12,598]

The lack of any proven goal kicking power is what sinks us.

Fritsch kicking straight is worth 20-30 goals but where does the rest come from.

TMac BBrown and Weid all have some big question marks and I'm not seeing a reliable 25 goal crumber.

[Pipefitter 2,163]

I tend to agree. I think we are a chance to sneak into 8 if everything falls our way but that’s about it. We aren’t a top 4 bucks quality side no matter how rosy my glasses get. Happy to be proven wrong though!

[dl4e 5,851]

I don't know why so many think Geelong will be flag favorites. They will need a lot of wd40 to keep greased up. Melbourne about 8th is right. 

[RedLegs23 938]

48 minutes ago, binman said:

Wow. 

Rock bottom confidence about the dees. 

Better this way, Bin.

[old dee 23,801]

If the majority are correct then our coach will be the first sacked. Actually think with our injuries 8th is about right.

Edited March 2, 2021 by old dee

[Deemania since 56 6,659]

29 minutes ago, bandicoot said:

3 below average years under goodwin. why would anyone think this will change?

Any measure of central tendency would have to agree with you - despite what could be a very competitive team.

[BDA 22,759]

Can’t blame them for discounting us. Our track record speaks for itself.

Improved coaching will be the difference maker this year i believe. Chocco skills and ooze cohesion will see us play finals. Just need to get through the first few weeks with our makeshift forward line.  

[Sir Why You Little 37,052]

No Bath water there

[Roost it far 8,309]

Melbourne will finish 3rd and win the Premiership 

[The Jackson FIX 3,169]

I’m still waiting for our flag unfurling from the 2019 pre-season predictions. 

[forever demons 2,221]

I don't see all the gloom and doom about this season.We will have a very stable backhalf and a what i think will be a very dominant midfield.The forward line is a work in progress ,even with BB and Weid there was no sure solution.Who ever plays forward should be able to kick enough goals with all the supply from the mids,there is another brown playing for us and I think given the chance might surprise a few people .It's up to Goodwin to coach and tweak the team as needed.

[binman 43,138]

55 minutes ago, JimmyGadson said:

 

Not really a 'Wow' though, is it?

I guess not.

But given we were so close to making the finals last year i would have thought more would have us in the 8.

For context the bookies currently have us at 2.50 to make the eight. That's not far off even money. 

[58er 6,461]

50 minutes ago, bandicoot said:

3 below average years under goodwin. why would anyone think this will change?

RU counting 2017 ? Not below average What is below our average?

And each year deserves to be assessed on its own.

Blind Harry the Miner can see our list and depth is 25% better and coaching at least that again. Also our game plan looked credible and much faster on Friday.

Oh sorry you can't See this development  Bandi let's just wait and see then. 

[loges 6,767]

There will always be this speculation until we actually show we can get things done. Not fail at crucial moments like last year.

[forever demons 2,221]

2 minutes ago, loges said:

There will always be this speculation until we actually show we can get things done. Not fail at crucial moments like last year.

forget last year,crap year all round

[loges 6,767]

Just now, forever demons said:

forget last year,crap year all round

Unfortunately it's not just last year.

[whatwhat say what 22,783]

we're also not the 'sexy' story in terms of teams coming in from outside the 8 - last year it was aints, this year it's caaaarlton

[YesitwasaWin4theAges 6,704]

1 hour ago, binman said:

Wow. 

Rock bottom confidence about the dees. 

That's a good thing.