Kick2Kick Rankings Centre
A new feature of kick2kick this season will be the weekly ‘Rankings Centre’. At the end of every round Deano will rank all clubs based on how they are performing. All rankings will be relevant to the quality of the opposition, whether teams are producing on the road and how teams cover losses to key personnel.
Deano has the Bulldogs lead by Brad Johnson finishing on top at the end of the "Home & Away season"going on by his Pre Season Rankings.
Pre Season Ranking
Hello and welcome to the first installment of the weekly ‘Rankings Centre’. First let me explain that the Ranking system is my personal view of how I think teams are going. It is different to the official ladder in that if a team has had a solid month against teams that are acknowledged as inferior then their ranking may not be affected. Alternatively a team could lose three or four on the trot against quality opposition but show enough to move up in the rankings.
The Pre-Season has shown us that the Dogs, Pies and Saints look hell bent on getting off to the best possible start and this will stand them in good stead for making the top4. These three teams is where our 2010 premier will come from, they all have the talent, hunger and drive to win the Premiership. Injuries and peaking at the right time of year will decide which of the three come out on top. The Cats and Crows seem good enough to challenge for the other top4 position but I can’t see either of them giving the flag a real shake.
Positions 6 – 13 look to be where the interest will be this season, whichever of these teams build some confidence early and lock away some crucial wins will be ones to watch come September. Home ground advantage comes into play too. If the Eagles, Power, Lions and Swans can make their home turf in-penetrable as they have done in the past then they will be fighting it out for the last three spots in the eight.
The Dockers, Tigers and Demons are simply making up the numbers. They will all be great to watch though with names like Cotchin, Scully, Morabito, Trengove, Palmer and Martin all capable of big things in the near future.
So where does your team sit? Below is a list of where I believe teams will finish after the H&A Season. Please note that the Record column is from the pre-season (I don’t count Supergoals).
Rankings Shaper Game of the Week: Brisbane Vs West Coast
I currently have both teams around the same mark at this stage and the key component for both these sides is the need to lock away victories at home in order to make the post-season. The Lions midfield is slow and underdone given that Black and Power both missed games and they had one match postponed. The Eagles look sharp and have a real chance to pinch an away win first up.
On The Up: West Coast (+4), North (+4)
Falling From Grace: Carlton (-6)
| Rank – (’09) – Diff | Team | Record | Attack – Rank – Average | Defence – Rank – Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.(3rd) +2 | Western Bulldogs | 4-0 | Offence (1st): 108.09 | Defence (6th): 88.18 |
| Look the team to beat this season. Playing with confidence, flair and purpose. Have shown their intentions early by focusing on tackling and defensive pressure and hurting teams once the turnover occurs, look for them to become elite defensively. Should be a lock for a top 4 position and we all know that is where you need to be to win a flag. Have a testing opening month with games against the Pies,Tigers, Lions (away) and Hawks. | ||||
| 2.(2nd) - | St.Kilda | 1-3 | Offence (4th): 99.86 | Defence (1st): 64.13 |
| Had them pencilled in as No.1 all summer until they buckled in the NAB decider. A near full strength side came up short against a more committed opponent. Defence looked shaky when placed under pressure from a skilled and direct midfield and the midfield still lacked the pace that Lovett was bought in to alleviate. Have a relatively soft opening month with games against the Swans (away), North and Freo. Rnd 3 matchup against the Pies will be a defining moment. | ||||
| 3.(4th) +1 | Collingwood | 4-0 | Offence (5th): 98.81 | Defence (2nd): 80.81 |
| Will be too good for most of the comp. Deficiencies remain through pace in the midfield and the inconsistency of their key forwards. These problems will only be tested against the elite teams and they will be tested early with games against the Dogs, Saints and Hawks in the first month. If they can show some real cohesion early on then they will be dangerous, the real test, of course, will be in September. | ||||
| 4.(1st) -3 | Geelong | 1-2-1 | Offence (2nd): 105.09 | Defence (4th): 82.50 |
| A massively interrupted pre-season. The Ablett saga continues, problems with Stokes, Harley’s retirement, no pre-season for the experienced players and one cancelled NAB Challenge match put their Premiership defence behind the 8 ball before it has even started. The positive for them is that they face the Dons, Hawks, Dockers and Power in the opening month, all teams who had a negative win/loss ratio in ’09. | ||||
| 5.(5th) - | Adelaide | 2-2 | Offence (6th): 95.63 | Defence (3rd): 81.31 |
| Ravaged by injuries over summer but I am not deterred. The Crows have massive depth and plenty of big game experience. They have contested the finals in 8 of the last 9 years and this season will be no different. If they can make a better start then the Cats they could be in the hunt for top 4. Face Freo(away), Swans, Demons(away) and a weakened Carlton so should be able to get out of the blocks solidly. | ||||
| 6.(6th) - | Brisbane Lions | 1-2-1 | Offence (8th): 91.68 | Defence (5th): 85.90 |
| Their defence was excellent last season despite some key injuries. The addition of Fev will allow them to bury inferior teams but I don’t think they have done much to strengthen the rest of the forward line. The elite teams will still work them out and put them away. Have three of their first four at home but the run is not easy. Eagles, Blues, Power(away) and Dogs await. | ||||
| 7.(11th) +4 | West Coast | 2-2 | Offence (11th): 86.04 | Defence (9th): 92.22 |
| History suggests that a team will rise from the bottom eight to play finals the following year. For me it has to be the Eagles. When other teams in the bottom half of the ladder were falling away last season they stayed strong with a 5/6 record over the last half. Have some crack youngsters and if they can once again make Subi a fortress they will be back amongst the September action. How they start will show how serious they are. They have winnable games against Lions(away), Power, North(away) and the Bombers. | ||||
| 8.(10th) +2 | Port Adelaide | 2-2 | Offence (9th): 90.45 | Defence (13th): 102.00 |
| Hard to see where they sit…again. Their A-game is good enough to see finals action, the question is can they bring it every week? Played in a GF just two short seasons ago so obviously have some talent. An increased vigour at the contested football and tackling/defensive pressure should see them right in the mix. Have a solid first month with testing games against North, Eagles(away), Lions and Cats(away). | ||||
| 9.(13th) +4 | North Melbourne | 2-2 | Offence (16th): 76.36 | Defence (7th): 91.59 |
| Two entirely different contrasts to their game. Their defence is quite respectable and full of underrated stoppers who do their job admirably. Their attack is woeful, the worst in the league. They seem to top heavy and not agile enough, this can be fixed. The inclusions/fitness of Harvey, Wells, Anthony and Ziebell will see the ball delivered with more precision into the front half this season. Another team with a relatively difficult opening month, Power(away), Saints, Eagles and Swans lay ahead. | ||||
| 10.(8th) -2 | Essendon | 2-2 | Offence (7th): 94.54 | Defence (12th): 96.68 |
| Look a good young team but I just can’t overlook the fact that Lloyd, Lucas, Lovett and McPhee are no longer there. They have lost a wealth of experience and this could count against them in the big games. They have a very difficult draw and I can see them holding ground and winning 10 games this year. I just don’t think 10 will be enough this season. Daunting task with games against reigning premiers Geelong, Freo, Carlton and West Coast(away) | ||||
| 11.(12th) +1 | Sydney | 4-0 | Offence (12th): 85.81 | Defence (8th): 92.13 |
| Have had a flawless pre season but still lack the class and match winners to match it with the big boys. The Swans have been very predictable during the Paul Roos reign this does not look the case this year. The addition of the experienced boys and the young talent has me keeping them safe for the time being. Brutal opening fortnight with games against the Saints and Crows(away) followed by Richmond and North(away). | ||||
| 12.(9th) -3 | Hawthorn | 1-3 | Offence (10th): 89.18 | Defence (11th): 96.36 |
| It is looking more and more as if Hawthorns premiership defence in 2009 was NOT an aberration. They lack depth all over the park and their ruck and defensive stocks are pitiful. Burgoyne and Rioli have had no pre season and will be underdone for the first half of the year. Will miss the finals by a long, long way. Have the most difficult opening month, after facing Melbourne in Round One they get the pleasure of playing Premiership contenders Cats, Dogs and Pies in the subsequent three weeks. | ||||
| 13.(7th) -6 | Carlton | 1-3 | Offence (3rd): 103.18 | Defence (10th): 93.40 |
| Can the league’s third best attack cope with the loss of the league’s best scorer? Surely the crack midfield will deliver enough of the ball forward to provide the chances. The battle will be hitting the targets and those targets keeping the ball in, a massive task to say the least. Have a taxing first month with games against fierce rivals Richmond, Lions(away) and Bombers before travelling to Adelaide to face the Crows. | ||||
| 14.(14th) - | Fremantle | 2-2 | Offence (14th): 79.40 | Defence (14th): 102.68 |
| Have had a solid enough pre season but can’t see them winning more than six or seven games. Their attack and defence is equally shocking and the midfield not much better. Have some good young kids but by the time they come through the likes of Pav, Sandilands, Tarrant, Headland, McPharlin and McPhee will all be gone. And so the cycle continues…Face four of last years’ finalist in their opening month Crows, Dons(away), Cats and Saints. Good luck!!! | ||||
| 15.(15th) - | Richmond | 1-3 | Offence (13th): 80.63 | Defence (16th): 108.54 |
| Finally headed in the right direction, The veterans and a fair portion of the list cloggers are gone and the kids are the order of the day. They have a fantastic leader as a coach who has had success follow him wherever he goes. Defence will improve as will the midfield, the forward line is where most of the work is needed. Still 5-7 years off being a serious finals contender. Tough opening three weeks with games against Blues, Dogs and Swans(away) before facing fellow cellar dwellers Melbourne in Rnd 4. | ||||
| 16.(16th) - | Melbourne | 0-4 | Offence (15th): 77.54 | Defence (15th): 103.86 |
| It’s only injuries that have me rating them this low. Jurrah is a massive loss as is Sylvia. The kids are exceptional but need to play together for 100-150 games before they can seriously push for regular finals and beyond. Will the Melbourne faithful be that patient? For their sake I hope so, if they implode and sack Bailey it will be an even longer wait. Thompson had the Cats for 10 years before they won a flag. Patience is a virtue…Play 7 of their first 8 at the M.C.G. Opening month contains Hawks, Pies, Crows and Tigers. | ||||
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March 22nd, 2010 at 3:28 pm
Looking forward to this in 2010 Deano..
Think the Kangaroos are a bit high imo, they will play good at the start of the year and will surprise a few teams but after that when the young kids and Harvey/ Wells tire they will struggle.
Agree that Carlton will be the slider team in ’10. Defense is the same and they are now 80+ goals less in the forward line. Waite will be the difference imo if they make the finals again or not but where do you play him?
March 22nd, 2010 at 4:34 pm
Carl were almost a top 4 side last season, then they had a shocker against the Crows and they should have beaten Bris- except for a final 1/4 meltdown.
They may actually do better without Fev, WB are the top rated offence without any key forwards.
March 23rd, 2010 at 7:09 am
@jerm – North have a relatively soft draw, hence their standings.I noticed you have the hawks in your top8 for the predictions what do you think of my ranking for them?
@bob – the big difference between the Dogs of last year and the blues of this year is the fact that despite being a midget forward line all of the Dogs attacking options were/are exceptional overhead. Johnno, Murphy, Aker, Hill, Hahn and Higgins are all as good in the air as they are on the ground, that is what made them so dangerous. 13 players kicked 15 goals or more. At Carlton that figure was only 5 players.
Murphy, Judd, Simpson and Gibbs kicked 73 goals between them last year. They will have to kick closer to 100-115 between them if Carlton are to make September this year. Not beyond them but a massive task. I don’t think they are up to it.
March 23rd, 2010 at 12:59 pm
@Deano, the only reason I have the Hawks in the top 8 is because they have too many dangerous players and I cannot see them mis firing again like 09.
Murphy kicked 31 goals from memory last year so that equals 42 goals between Judd, Simpson & Gibbs and thats less than one a game last year. Deano, you care to put a bet on them kicking the 60 goals between them (like last year when you lost the bet and btw what Eagles membership number are you
)
March 24th, 2010 at 5:26 pm
hey, I seem to remember there was a similar Carlton bet last year when you thought that Yarran, Betts and Cloke would kick a ridiculous amount of goals between them and that didn’t come off so we are even!!!
42-60 is not that big a jump when you consider they would all have to only increase their output from 15 goals in a season to 20. Easy done when you consider that Fev is gone and Judd and Gibbs will spend more time forward…however, it will surprise me greatly if the four of them can mangage to kick over 100 between them.
Re: Hawthorn, they had 16 premiership players playing the night the Doggies touched them up by 90 odd points. With the loss of Williams, Campbell and Croad over summer they only have 16 premiership players left…plus Shaun Burgoyne. They have some massive depth issues and will be found wanting again this year…mark my words.
March 24th, 2010 at 6:03 pm
@Deano, there was 22 premiership players. Crawford gone, along with Williams, Campbell & Croad (as you said), who else we missing?
Re: Carlton last year: I did not make a bet regarding Carlton & the amount of goals they can kick, I said if they can kick 100 goals it will help them be a serious threat in the finals & yes I was wrong. Unlike you who said that Hansen, Kennedy & LeCras would not kick 70 goals between them & you would buy an Eagles membership if they could
The problem with Judd kicking 20+ goals this season is that he has yet to kick more than 15 playing for Carlton (his stats). He did kick 20 or more in 5 of his 6 seasons playing for the Eagles so he can do it but I personally doubt it will happen.
March 24th, 2010 at 6:59 pm
Dew was another one, i thought Renouf was another but he is still playing apparently…
hey, stop calliing me out on my lies!!!lol…I didn’t think you would remember that far back. Apparently there is a waiting list to be a member at the Eagles so you can’t say i didn’t try!!!