Welcome to the first edition of the AFL Club Rankings. Throughout the 2011 AFL Season, exclusive to AFL Space, a new set of rankings will be published on a regular basis, taking into account all of the results and permutations of the latest AFL round. Check back often to see how your club is stacking up!
Without any further ado, here are the inaugural rankings – albeit over 95 days away from the opening bounce of the 2011 AFL Season.
| #1 | Summary: Don’t look now, but the best team just got better. | |||||
| Collingwood | The best (boy that’s tough to write) seem to have got better in the off-season, with the acquisitions of key position player Chris Tarrant and midfielder Andrew Krakour adding to an already talented and premiership winning list. No doubt it’s gutsy stuff by the Pies, but with such a young and exciting list – why not take a risk or two. At this stage, the Pies have to be hot favourites in 2011. | |||||
| #2 | Summary: No Ablett, but should hold their ground. | |||||
| Geelong | No Gary Ablett, no Bomber Thompson – no worries? I can’t shake the feeling that the Cats will go under the radar in 2011 – as they have a lot to prove the footy world after an inglorious exit to 2010. My hesitation is that Mooney, Ling, Milburn, Ottens and even Scarlett are a year older and certainly are not getting any better, but their nucleus remains strong. | |||||
| #3 | Summary: Good enough, but where are the kids? | |||||
| St Kilda | They were a wrong bounce of the ball away from the 2010 Premiership, yet I just don’t like what I see when I look through the Saints list. They’ll be good enough for a top 4 finish, but I don’t think recruits Ryan Gamble or Dean Polo are going to get them over the Pies next September. Can you spot even 3 up-and-coming future stars on their list? … I didn’t think so. | |||||
| #4 | Summary: A young list that should be better. | |||||
| Fremantle | 2010 was a tremendous season for the Dockers – and I see no reason why 2011 can’t be even better. They have the home ground fortress at Subiaco and should be better on the road next year with further development and conditioning into their younger types. I’m calling a top 4 spot for Fremantle next season. | |||||
| #5 | Summary: Need a good run with injuries. | |||||
| Hawthorn | Picked up Cameron Bruce in the pre-season draft but at the age he is, I don’t see him being a difference maker in the Hawks line-up. What they need is Jarryd Roughead to be in full flight – and injury-free seasons to Buddy Franklin and newly appointed captain, Luke Hodge. If they get these things, the Hawks will be thereabouts come finals time. | |||||
| #6 | Summary: A home final is the priority. | |||||
| Carlton | The Blues must earn a home final in 2011 after consecutive exits in the first round of the finals in both 2009 and 2010 away from Victoria. Their off-season has been solid, plus they have the return of Matthew Kreuzer to look forward to, not to mention Brownlow Medallist Chris Judd available for round 1 following an “incident-free” elimination final. The time is now for Carlton – they must push ahead next season. | |||||
| #7 | Summary: Have lost experience but finals bound. | |||||
| Western Bulldogs | The Bulldogs are a difficult team to rank this far out from round 1, 2011. On one hand, they’ve lost their inspirational captain, Brad Johnson, as well as Eagleton (retired), Akermanis (sacked) and Harbrow (Gold Coast). That’s a fair bit of experience lost to the club. They seem to have drafted well – so a finals appearance should still be a certainty unless injury hits hard. | |||||
| #8 | Summary: Need consistency. | |||||
| Adelaide | There has been next to zero publicity surrounding the Crows since round 22, however all indications are that they should at least improve upon 2010. They’ve added Sam Jacobs from Carlton, who should give an immediate boost to the club. I’m tipping they’ll sneak into the finals. | |||||
| #9 | Summary: Hello John Longmire, goodbye finals. | |||||
| Sydney | Could Sydney be the only 2010 finalist to miss out in 2011? That’s my early prediction – as I believe the loss of Paul Roos will be felt by the Swans next season. They’ve also lost another leader and club hero, in Brett Kirk, to retirement. With a strong home ground advantage, especially at the SCG, they’ll be in contention but they may just miss finals next season. | |||||
| #10 | Summary: Should be in finals contention. | |||||
| Melbourne | Melbourne is on the up, with the club having no reason not to expect further improvement in 2011. The Demons have over 20,000 members (before Christmas) for the first time, and their young and exciting nucleus should give each one of their members a reason to cheer to red and blue next season. | |||||
| #11 | Summary: Low profile, but they’re getting better. | |||||
| North Melbourne | I was bullish about the Roos a season ago – with my optimism being founded somewhat following a relatively successful season for the club. They still lack the profile of the stronger Melbourne teams, so they need to let their football do the talking next year. Another young side that should expect bigger things in 2011. | |||||
| #12 | Summary: Bomber is back at the club. But be quiet, he’s napping. | |||||
| Essendon | Essendon will be a team to watch in 2011, for quite a few reasons. The coaching style and methods of James Hird will be fascinating, whilst Mark “Bomber” Thompson is officially back with the Dons in a coaching role of sorts. I don’t rate the Dons list, but Hird & Thompson should give them a lift. | |||||
| #13 | Summary: Who knows what to expect from the Power? | |||||
| Port Adelaide | Similarly to the Kangaroos, the Power are a club that just don’t draw our attention (or draw supporters for that matter). Perhaps only the club faithful would know what lies ahead in 2011, but I can’t envision a finals spot for the Power at this point in time. | |||||
| #14 | Summary: Getting the cotton wool ready for Brown & Fevola. | |||||
| Brisbane | After a horrid 2011, the Lions have new incentive in 2011 in the form of the Gold Coast Suns. A lot will rest on the shoulders of Jonathon Brown and Brendan Fevola – if they’re both 100% fit for 22 games, I can see reaching finals as a possibility, though losing key players to the Suns this off-season wont help. | |||||
| #15 | Summary: The good news – they won’t finish in 9th position. | |||||
| Richmond | The Tigers were dismal to start 2010 and simply cannot afford a similar start to next season. I believe comparisons were drawn to the dark, final days of Fitzroy at one stage, but those comparisons proved premature. There is enough talent to suggest they will stay clear of the button few rungs on the Premiership ladder at least. | |||||
| #16 | Summary: Nothing to write home about. | |||||
| West Coast | So ordinary were the Eagles in patches throughout 2010; that I gave strong consideration to lifting the Suns to 16th and therefore relegating the Eagles to last place in my inaugural rankings. Whilst I don’t like what I see at the Eagles, surely they couldn’t already be worse than the newest franchise, can they? | |||||
| #17 | Summary: Welcome to the club Gary. But do we have to take Nathan too? | |||||
| Gold Coast | There is plenty to get excited about if you’re a Suns supporter. The results may not come immediately, but even the most sceptical of pundits couldn’t have predicted the list to look as good as it does entering their first season. There’s a healthy mix of young and old and whilst I didn’t like the Nathan Ablett selection (let’s just say I don’t think it was a selection based on merit), all credit to the builders of the playing list for bringing it all together. | |||||
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