If you look at the 2018 season in a realistic way the top 10 teams could already be set.

Adelaide, Essendon, Geelong, Greater Western Sydney, Port Adelaide, Richmond and Sydney are the seven teams with all cases for the 2018 Premiership (Maybe not Geelong because it’s a odd year). The question is who will take the 8th spot is it Hawthorn who started their season off in great form against the Magpies or Melbourne who should have defeated Geelong or does St Kilda have a chance to sneak into the 8?

 

Having a closed ended season is not a bad thing in 2016 the top 8 did not change after round 6 and in 2017 the top 8 went down to the last minute of the last game. Is there an issue that so many teams have no chance of playing finals? No well not for now if the same teams miss the finals year after year then it will be an issue but teams like Brisbane, Gold Coast and Carlton are in there rebuild. West Coast and North Melbourne are just starting a rebuild and Collingwood, Fremantle and Western Bulldogs lack identity who should all be challenging for the final but all miss that thing that the top 10 clubs have.

 

Collingwood don’t have a good game plan no key forward no key back they have put all their egg in this Tom Lynch basket that they forgot to focus on the now. Fremantle say they are rebuilding but had 5 players over the age of 30 play Port Adelaide in saying that Fremantle lack 25-29-year olds in their team and Western Bulldogs wouldn’t recognize who the 2016 premiership team is anymore. They could all still make finals but its safe to say they won’t or shouldn’t

 

 

But why Hawthorn? Well because they are Hawthorn plain and simple Hawthorn are missing a few key points to be a premiership team again but they are looking good for a crack at the eight. Melbourne? They should of played finals last year but missed out the 3 point loss to Geelong shows Melbourne just does not know how to close out games yet and that’s their biggest issue and they need to play finals now there is no more excise 12 years is long enough and last is St Kilda? They need good players to become great but they look like they have the right stuff missed out by percentage in 2016 and were nowhere near it in 2017 despite finishing 11th but 2018 if everything goes the Saints way they could be marching into September again.

 

By why the seven teams its simple they are better than the other teams at the moment on paper. This could very easily get outdated with a team dropping off but even Adelaide who lost on the weekend have nothing to worry about it once their A graders come back they should be fit and firing just hope it is not too late. Richmond a team that wins a flag can always go back to back that is the idea. For them they better hope teams have not figured out their game style if so might be a bit harder than they thought. Essendon are the young up and comer but they have not won a final since 2004 and three out their last four finals they lost over 50 points but they have a good list and a good game plane that could take them all the way.

 

Geelong have Garry Dangerwood. Greater Western Sydney had a few off season losses Nathan Wilson is the biggest with the loss of Zac Williams but the played a perfect game on the weakened and maybe should be hoping to play more games in Australia’s capital. Losing two prelims in a row could give them the edge they need to take it one step further. Sydney is always there and always a chance no matter what and finally Port Adelaide. Could have made top 4 last year and have requited for a flag so success is a must when you do something like that. This newish Power team just need to get rid of that flat track bullies tag line and they could be a legit premiership contender.

 

 Have a predictable top 7 is not a bad thing we like seeing the best of the best but if the same seven to ten teams are the same teams all the time the AFL has a big issue