AFL 2025
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And we're back this weekend, with the AFL's really weird "Opening Round" where they play four games in NSW and Qld. But rather than have those teams not play the weekend after, they go again. It's remarkably stupid from and admin that normally nails stuff like this.
Anyway, game 1 is in doubt because we in the Tropics have been kind enough to send Brisbane out cyclone. Defending premiers the Lions were supposed to be hosting the Cats, but it's all looking dicey. It's actually a pretty sweet round of footy
Lions hosting the Cats in a top 4 clash
Losing grans finalists the Swans, with their new coach trying to shake that deadly hangover of teams that get pumped in a decider falling away the next year, and a tough start against the young and hyped Hawks
The Suns trying so hard to become a real footy team hosting everyone's favourite meme club the Bombers
And the early flag favourites the Giants hosting the Pies.There are some interesting stories for season 2025
Can the Lions go again? How key was Joe Daniher? Where do we fit all our midfielders and returning defenders in? By the look of the forwards we played in preseason, we may not actually lose a game.
Can Sydney bounce back? New coach should help, but he's untested if highly respected. Someone always drops alarmingly, and more often than not if you get flogged in a GF you disappear. They have talent but they are light up front still, and Gulden will miss a chunk of the year apparently.
Port finished 2nd on the ladder last year, but as usual did fuck all in Finals. Ken is leaving at years end, can he get them over the top? I say no.
The Cats will finish top 4. The Cats always finish top 4.
GWS i think are premiership favorites. They would have learned from some disastrous finals flame outs. Heaps of talent a year more experienced.
What to make of the Dogs? Feels like Bevo is constantly under pressure. As usual they start the year injured too.
Heaps of hype around Hawthorn. Sam Mitchell has to try and harness that and make them a consistent footy side. Flew home last year, but teams will see them coming this year.
Carlton are cursed.
Collingwood are old
Freo. It's this year or never. Someone from about here jumps in to the top 4 every year, and everyone seems to think this year it's Freo. A couple of high profile recruits helping that along.
Can Essendon win a final? Well, they won't lose one anyway.
St kilda are irrelevant.
If Gold Coast don't move up the table this year then they are officially never going to.
Melbourne were terrible last year, and injuries/off-field smashed them. Goodwin is my tip for first coach sacked.
Adelaide are a lot better than last year showed, i think they will push hard for the 8
West Coast are kids. Expect little
North are North, expect little
Richmond are a VFL side that get to play at the G on TV. Will be lucky to win a raffle let alone a game. -
Ladder prediction
GWS
Geelong
Brisbane
Freo
Port
Hawthorn
Sydney
AdelaideGold Coast
Bulldogs
Collingwood
Essendon
St Kilda
Melbourne
West Coast
North
Richmond
Carlton -
@mariner4life said in AFL 2025:
GWS i think are premiership favorites. They would have learned from some disastrous finals flame outs. Heaps of talent a year more experienced.
Can't you write that every year for GWS?
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@antipodean said in AFL 2025:
@mariner4life said in AFL 2025:
GWS i think are premiership favorites. They would have learned from some disastrous finals flame outs. Heaps of talent a year more experienced.
Can't you write that every year for GWS?
yes, and one day we'll be right
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Harder to pick than a broken nose this year. So you probably should default to the teams that do it year after year - Geelong, Sydney, Brisbane, GWS.
The rest can fight among themselves but you'd struggle to see any of those four missing the eight. The only chance is Sydney having the classic losing GF hangover, a few injuries and just never get going. But like Geelong success is just baked into the walls there so I find that hard to foresee.
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damn, might be a good sign for super rugby that this has snuck up on me!
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@mariner4life said in AFL 2025:
Adelaide are a lot better than last year showed, i think they will push hard for the 8
Most optimistic preseason prediction I can recall.
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Two games delayed including the Thursday season opener up in QLD. Friday will be the season opener now.
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GWS making magpies look decidedly average. The toothless centrelink army won't be happy.
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Hawthorn past Sydney easy. And then GWS set about making the "professionals" preseason predictions about both their's and Collingwood's seasons look stupid.
Now we get to look forward to watching shit teams like Richmond and Carlton on Thursday night. Actually there are some good games this weekend.
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@mariner4life what did i miss, GWS won didnt they? everything i saw had them as top 4
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It's a very long time since I cheered for Richmond in a game
Loooool Carlton.
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This shows why guys sign for these clubs
Rd 1 two average sides and its 80,000 loud fans. Who wouldn't want that?
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Not a glowing sign for this season when we're level at 3/4 time with Carlton.
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@mariner4life said in AFL 2025:
This shows why guys sign for these clubs
Rd 1 two average sides and its 80,000 loud fans. Who wouldn't want that?
yeah....the woodenspoon last year....80k first game back
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Round 1 (week 2, stupid AFL)
We've all had our laugh at Carlton. That was funny. But the Tigers were genuinely good. Youthful effort and speed can take you a long way. The Blues are just not as good as their supporters think, and Vossy, though i love him, was sacked from a shit Brisbane for a reason.
Friday the Hawks beat Essendon as expected. But to the Bombers credit they never let Hawthorn feel comfortable in front and kept coming. Better than expected i think.
Saturday the first eye opener as the talked up an highly fancied Freo traveled to Geelong, a ground they go okay at, and got absolutely fucking destroyed by the Cats. I didn't watch, but a 13 goal win is ugly against anyone, let alone a "flag contender".
The Grand Final rematch was an absolute stinker from a viewing perspective. The Lions looked like a team with a disrupted prep who hadn't played yet, with low effort and a host of execution errors, and looked slow. And yet, they won, because Sydney were worse. They butchered the ball all afternoon, and despite coming close at the end, deservedly lost. Not a game either team will look back on fondly.
The depleted Bulldogs were still too good for North in a game no one cares about.
Then the 3rd lol of the weekend was Ken Hinkley's farewell parade starting appallingly as they got fucking destroyed to the tune of 91 points by a team that a week ago looked ponderous.
Yesterday the Crows got off to a lively start and showed the St Kilda are still irrelevant.
Then the Giants needed a very late goal to get over the Dees in a low scorer at the G
Finally the Suns went to West Caost and delivered the third absolute towelling of the weekend. If Harley Reid is worth $2M what the hell is Matt Rowell worth? Gee is hope the Suns can convince him to stay. -
@mariner4life Nice summary. Who would have thought that Carlton wouldn’t even be in the top 3 embarrassing losses come Monday morning. At least they were close!
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Squeaky bum time
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Yessssssss. We hold on
