We are just days away until we put 2018 behind us and usher in a new year. For the final article of the 2018 AFL season, I posed a question on the Facebook page towards you – the loyal readers – on which topic I should end the year on – Bold Predictions For Next Year or The Best Games Of 2018. The former of the two won by a fair distance so this is the path I'll be going down for the last article of the year.
Thanks to everyone who voted and for those that did vote for the best AFL Games of this year, don't be disappointed as I'll look to do that when I come back from Holidays.
First-time All-Australians
This year, the All-Australian team featured 10 players who made the team for the first time in their careers. That is almost half the team! However, there were a few players who made the squad of 40 that could've considered themselves extremely unlucky that they missed out on the final 22. Of those that missed this year, I will make the early call and say that the Bulldogs' Jack Macrae, Collingwood's Jordan De Goey and Brisbane's Harris Andrews will make the All-Australian team next year. I will also add into the mix that Brisbane's Lachie Neale (Hard to believe he's not an All-Australian yet) Melbourne's Tom McDonald and St. Kilda's Jade Gresham will also make the side next year. Here's why all six make the team next year.
Macrae averaged 32.8 disposals, 6.2 clearances and 5.3 tackles per a game in a bottom six side this year. Had he not missed three games with a Hamstring injury, it would've been nearly impossible to leave him out of this year's AA team.
De Goey came of age this year as more of a forward than a midfielder, kicking 48.22 in a Collingwood team that made the Grand Final. He missed the first three games of the year due to a club-imposed suspension and missed a pair of games due to injury. Expect him to reach 50-plus goals next season.
Andrews missed four games this season because of a nasty hit in the head from GWS' Jeremy Cameron in round 14. Until that moment, Andrews had been playing really good football. Not only was he taking intercept marks in defence, but he did a reasonable job on the talls week in and week out.
His new team mate Lachie Neale has been in the All-Australian squad in two of the past three seasons (2016 and 2018), and has been a prolific ball-winner over the past few years. In a fresh start at Brisbane, and around some talented youngsters, he should breakthrough for his maiden All-Australian blazer sooner rather than later.
McDonald was one of the bigger surprise packets of 2018. Having spent majority of his career as a key defender, he played primarily as a key forward this year to great effect. He missed the first five games of the season, but still produced 53.20 for the year. Given that he'll be most likely the go-to forward next year, he'll easily top 60 goals and no doubt even give the Coleman Medal a real crack.
Lastly, I've been a huge Jade Gresham fan since day one and there have been times this year that have genuinely wowed me. He kicked 35.20 – including a bag of six against Richmond – and averaged 17.6 disposals, 2.5 tackles and 3.6 inside 50s per game in a St. Kilda team that underperformed severely. I sense a breakthrough season for him sooner rather than later.
AFLW Predictions I'll have a more in-depth preview of the AFLW season for all those who enjoy watching women's football sometime in January, but for now, I'll give you this.
I can only see three teams winning it next year – Western Bulldogs, Brisbane or North Melbourne. North Melbourne have assembled an array of stars for their first season in the AFLW. Headlined by reigning league best and fairest Emma Kearney and featuring quality players like Emma King, Jasmine Garner, Jess Duffin and many others.
The Dogs and Brisbane both lost a number of players to North, but I am confident that they will have the depth to continue to set the pace of the league. Ellie Blackburn should cover the loss of Kearney and become a top-three player in the league, whilst I predict Brisbane's Jess Wuetschner to win the league's goal-kicking award next year.
Lastly, I predict that Carlton, who suffered mightily at times this year, will bounce back following the return of captain Brianna Davey and the arrival of Maddie Prespakis, who has been highly raved about in the media. She's the early pick to win the league's Rising Star award next year. She might also just follow in the footsteps of Chloe Molloy and nab herself an All-Australian spot and perhaps find herself in the league best and fairest contention.
One of Gold Coast's Prized Draft Picks Walks Out After One Season.
Yes, this is something worth calling. Whether it's Jack Lukosius, Izak Rankine or Ben King, one of these three extremely talented youngsters will walk out of the Gold Coast team by seasons' end next year. It's going to be no real shock that the Suns will have an awful 2019 year, given the youth and inexperience that this side has to offer. What will really kick them in the proverbial nuts is that one of the three players that they nabbed early in the Draft will cite “Homesickness” or “Personal Reasons” as to why they want out. If one of them don't walk out next year, keep your eye out on what happens in 2020.
AFL Rising Star Prediction
It is going to be bloody tough to pick a winner so early on. Sam Walsh – who was the number one pick in the Draft this year – is a very easy prediction to make. As a Bulldog supporter, I'm genuinely excited to see what noise Bailey Smith makes next year. But let's keep it unbias and suggest that one of Max King, Jye Caldwell, Jackson Hately or Connor Rozee are the big favourites – all four will get plenty of game time next year. Izak Rankine and Lukosius could easily be amongst the discussions as well.
Out of those that have been in the AFL system for over a year now, ex-Giant Will Setterfield looms as a big chance given that he'll get plenty of playing time at Carlton. Luke Davies-Uniacke and Nick Coffield were highly touted 12 months ago, now that they have had a year at AFL level under their belts, It could be possible he has a breakout year in 2019. Another player that could be a genuine chance is Port Adelaide's Todd Marshall. He started season 2018 bloody strong, kicking nine goals in his first four goals, before his year was thrown off course with personal reasons and injury.
Early Top Eight Predictions
There's no reason why West Coast won't be there again to defend their crown in 2019, they haven't lost anyone other than Scott Lycett, and even with Nic Naitanui not in the side for possibly all season next year, they'll need one of Tom Hickey, Keegan Brooksby or possibly one of their younger rucks to stand up. Collingwood and Richmond should be there again next year – I don't think Dayne Beams or Tom Lynch will cause any major disruptions to their respective teams. Melbourne will be a top-four team next year with the additions of Steven May and Kade Kolodjashnij.
Adelaide will bounce back from a tumultuous 2018 campaign and play Finals once again, Essendon will be counting on the fitness of Joe Daniher and the star power of recruit Dylan Shiel to get back to the Finals after missing out this year and North Melbourne will continue to improve and play Finals in 2019 with the additions of Jared Polec, Dom Tyson, Jasper Pittard and Aaron Hall – all four WILL have an impact on North's year. Rounding out the eight will be Hawthorn, who did overachieve this year and perhaps there are a number of questions surrounding the side, but Alastair Clarkson has proved to be a genius over the years – he'll make something of this side once again. This means Geelong, Sydney and GWS will all miss the eight.
Sydney have not missed a Finals campaign since 2009, but given their exit from the Finals this year in addition to the youth in their list suggests that they will be going through a small rebuild as they look to put game time into players such as Will Hayward, Ben Ronke, Nick Blakey, Isaac Heeney, Ryan Clarke and others.
The Giants have lost way too many good players over the past few years in order to have enough room in the salary cap. They could lose more players yet, with Josh Kelly out of contract once again and once again linked to North Melbourne. It will be exciting to watch young players such as Hately, Caldwell, Tim Taranto, Aiden Bonar, Ian Hill and Xavier O'Halloran get games over the course of 2019.
The Cats will be the biggest story of the three no doubt. Their 'Holy Trinity' that was Gary Ablett, Joel Selwood and Patrick Dangerfield floundered miserably in the Elimination Final this year. Let's face the reality of it – Ablett has a season or two left before he calls it quits, Selwood isn't far off it either. They brought in Luke Dahlhaus and Gary Rohan in the off-season, but whether or not they can push them back remains a huge question mark. Other than that, there hasn't been much to suggest that they will be a huge factor in 2019.
Unfortunately for all my fellow Bulldogs supporters, whilst I can see the lads improving vastly next year, I think they're just going to miss out on the eight by a game or less. Josh Dunkley improved out of sight in the last half of the season and expect him to average disposals in the high 20s next year and become another one of the breakout stars in the league. Aaron Naughton won't exactly push as the best defender in the league but he'll take another step towards reaching that next year.
One More Prediction
Brisbane will be a Finals contender next year. That's right, I'm not going to back down from this one. Here's why – over the past few years, Brisbane's younger players have managed to build themselves up a culture in the club that makes players: a) want to stay at the club and b) come from opposition clubs. They snagged a huge get in the off-season by acquiring Lachie Neale from Fremantle and they could get the best out of Marcus Adams and Lincoln McCarthy if they can keep their bodies healthy.
Add another year into the younger boys such as Jarrod Berry, Alex Witherden, Cam Rayner, Hugh McCluggage, Eric Hipwood among others, there's going to be a few headaches for opposition players and supporters next year. They play the Bulldogs, Hawthorn, North Melbourne, Port Adelaide and Gold Coast twice next year. They should beat the Suns on both occasions, and given that they beat Hawthorn twice this year, they will be excited to play them twice again next year.
ON ONE LAST NOTE: Thank you everyone who has come on and has read what I've had to say over the past year. Whether you have agreed or disagreed with what has been said, having you come here and read what I've had to say means a lot. I'll be back in 2019 - hopefully the Bulldogs have a much better year. But until then, I'm signing off on 2018.
Have a Merry Christmas everyone - if you don't celebrate Christmas, enjoy yourself over the Holidays and whatever it may be you are celebrating, stay safe over the Holiday Season and a Happy New Year to all! See you in 2019!