TOPIC:

I know someone put this topic up earlier but blowed if I can find it. So anyway now the pre season is over maybe now is the appropriate time to put up predictions or who you'll think will be strong, who will be big improvers etc.

Subi should come back to the pack I expect and we hope. Stefan Giro is a good get.

I expect WP to be very strong unless they lose Kietel to Freo for a lot of matches. I see Hutchings has had a groin injury so he will miss the first 6 to 8 weeks. Strange how their coach Geoff Valentine left for Peel while under contract but their favourite son is back at the helm. 

South have lost a few premiership players to retirement so expect them to drop back a bit.

EF unlucky to lose Strnadica and Dixon to the Eagles but still think they'll be competitive. Picked up 3 VFL players so well done to them. We couldn't manage getting one over.

Peel I think will be strong

EP I think will struggle and might be Barnard's last year.

SD lost Anderson at the end of last year and won't play this season it seems. Might struggle.

Claremont will be strong again and contenders.

My team Perth. I am cautiously optimistic after seeing the last two scratch matches. It's going to come down to how healthy we can keep our top players being Hayden Busher, Sinclair, McInnes and midfield guns like Cory Byrne and Regan Clarke. Hopefully Chris Mayne's body stands up and we get a full season out of him..

WCER who cares

WP
Claremont
Subiaco
Peel
Perth

---

EF
SF
SD
EP
WCER 
​​​​​

West Perth
Peel
Subiaco
Claremont
Swan Districts
East Fremantle
South Fremantle
Perth
WCER
East Perth

I am with you Custy....if Freo stay fit then Peel top 3 easily....WP never lose their 2 best mids (Black/Nelson) & forwards (Keitel/Knott) to injury plus have Hutchings & Meadows back, Subi have depth.....they are my top 3.....with SD, Cl and SF fighting out the remaining 2 finals spots.....EF have been shafted last minute by WCE and really will need to have the midas touch with injuries and form to finish top 5. EP and Perth like EF will have their moments  during the season and hopefully have more moments then less. Whilst WCER will struggle if injuries and COVID  linger, due to having little 2nd tier depth.
 

I won't repeat what I said earlier, other than to say that it is hardly going out on a limb to predict a S, WP, SF and C top 4. Subi may start slow if they are undermanned/underdone due to Covid. But once their best team is back they will steamroll everyone as always. I was surprised at Peel's pre season form. I thought that losing some of their top non Dockers players, like Howlett, Merritt and Schofield would make it a tough year for them. I'm happy to pretty much stick with my earlier ladder prediction, except I'll move Peel up to 5th: So I have S, WP, C, SF, Peel, EF, SD, P, EP, WC. 

West Perth
Peel
Subiaco
Claremont
Perth
*****************
Swan Districts
South Fremantle
East Fremantle
WCER
East Perth

Hate to say it fella's but with Peel and Subi dominating as expected with Claremont chipping away as well, we are in for probably the dullest WAFL season in years, I notice very little activity on the clubs boards, no doubt some sense of things to come.

What else is new, Baz? This is the WAFL - it's always S, SF, C, WP and a host club. It has been for years and no-one cares enough to change it. The last time a team outside of those 4/host club made a GF was 2012. The last time a different team won was 2010. The last time there was a GF which featured both teams outside those clubs was 1984. The West today had the season predictions. Everyone went for S, C or Peel for Premiers, C or Subi players for the Sandover and Keitel or Sokol for the Naylor. 28 of the 40 top ranked players - 70% - came from S, SF, C and WP. Its very disheartening for fans outside of those teams, but I'm resigned to it now. I have had genuine hopes for Perth in just two of the last 25 years, 2012 and last year. I won't make that mistake again. 

Great post Ted

Claremont
$ubiaco
Joondalup
Swan Districts
Dockers
Perth
East Freo
South Freo
East Perth
Eagles

The ladder is starting to take a bit of shape after round 6. Really only West Coast out of it, so 9 teams are battling for 5 spots. 2 massive derbies next monday. The Sharks will be champing at the bit to get at the Doggies in the form they are in at the moment. They haven't beaten South since 2016 and they have suffered some horrible thumpings from them since then. East Perth have lost 6 out of their last 7 against the Falcons so they would be keen to reverse that as well. Meanwhile on Saturday Subiaco face a must win game against Peel. Don't write the Lions off, there is still a lot of quality in their team.