Now that the longest pre-season ever is over it’s time to look into my crystal ball and try to predict what will happen this year.

Some predictions in here may surprise you.

Firstly, put your money on Collingwood to not make the final eight. It is probably the one thing I can guarantee this year.

• AFL 2015 season fixtures: every match, every round
• Time ASADA cut its losses and moved on, AFL should apologise
• ‘All we wanted to know was the truth’: Watson
• ASADA on offensive as Bombers cleared

Which will probably mean another young coach, but wonderful player, getting the sack: Nathan Buckley.

Putting L-plate coaches in the AFL hot seat has driven me nuts for years.

How long can Nathan Buckley stay smiling? Photo: Getty

Michael Voss learnt the hard way what happens when you lack experience.

I can tell you first hand as a coach, learning the craft it is hard work and a lot different to playing. If I made the mistakes I have made in the spotlight I wouldn’t have lasted very long.

‘Bucks’ better have a plan B.

Carlton should improve. Seventh would be my guess. Their culture, when I spent a week there in February, is much improved. So is the health of their players. Always a good sign.

Brisbane will improve again. Justin Leppitsch is doing a great job. I reckon they will finish eighth or so. They have more depth in the midfield and their skills have gone to another level.

I have no doubt that Gold Coast will make finals. Rodney Eade will have them playing on everywhere. He will want the ball streaming in to one-on-ones inside the forward 50 all day.

While ‘Rocket’ isn’t on my Christmas card list, he can coach.

Expect them to beat Melbourne every time they play them. Rocket saves his best for games against Paul Roos.

Greater Western Sydney should be giant killers. Seriously, if Leon Cameron doesn’t get the best out a group that talented, no one will. Where they will finish is anyone’s guess. I reckon 10th or so but with a lot of close losses. I think finals are one more year away.

The biggest improvers this year could be from West Coast and Melbourne.

I see Adam Simpson (West Coast) doing a lot of little things the same as his previous club Hawthorn. Their defensive structures and midfield set-ups are nearly identical. Adam will need to be more flexible on his tactics though. Throw a few players around to upset the opposition.

Melbourne are trying the paleo way. Playing on a diet like this is very good if you do it properly. It doesn’t help you get a kick but it does help you run further.

There is no doubt Paul Roos has taught them to play tight defensive football. At some stage he will need to let them move the ball quickly and score more. As a coach, you can’t have everything.

Will Rodney Eade and Malcolm Blight’s Gold Coast holiday have a happy ending? Photo: Getty

You can’t be number one defensively and have the number one offence. Doesn’t happen. You have to give something up.

You can however be in the top four on defence and number one on offence. If they became that they would win the comp. Hard to think of Paul doing it though. Mid pack from them this year. But it will be an improvement.

Fremantle will, as always, be hard to beat. I don’t know where they will end up.

While most groups he has coached love Ross Lyon, his game style is very tiring. They could be the team that has the biggest slide. Especially with the oldest list and losing key tagger Ryan Crowley.

Essendon will be buoyed by escaping bans from the AFL. But in my opinion they need to put a broom through the place. While they have arguably the most experienced assistant coaches I never like the feeling of them waiting over a dead man’s body for the top job. As the saying goes, too many chiefs and not enough Indians.

How on earth James Hird still has a job is beyond my understanding of human logic.

North Melbourne have traded themselves into a potential power or declining duds.

I was never a huge fan of Shaun Higgins. He was always a little injury prone and his running is too one paced. He will give North depth and if left alone can cause some trouble with multiple goals. That said, good defensive teams will shut outside players like him down quickly.

Jarrod Waite will be a good addition. He wont get the best opposition defender and will get plenty of good looks at the ball coming in. If fit, he will be very useful for them.

 Next | 2 |