Hawthorn:
The defending champions have everything to lose as they enter round one. We’ll start to see what life without their star Buddy Franklin is like when they go up against Brisbane Lions next Saturday.
They amazingly only fell three times last season, but judging by the pre-season commentary, the Hawks aren’t predicted to get the cup again.
They have a tough fixture, playing Collingwood, Essendon, Fremantle, Geelong and Gold Coast twice.
Freemantle:
The underdog tag no longer circles around the Dockers. Making it to the final last season with 16 wins under their belt but failing to clinch the title in the Melbourne rain, Freemantle has the passion to get to the top again.
It has an old team but that means nothing when their defence is solid and talent like Matthew Pavlich and Aaron Sandilands are on the field.
They went up against Collingwood in the opening round on Friday.
Richmond:
Finishing fifth must have really hurt the Tigers last year but brushing off the sad end will be easy.
The team is known for its amazing counter-attacks and with a strong team getting even better with time, they’ll be aiming extremely high and hoping for a top four position.
Geelong:
The Cats are looking to achieve longterm goals this season and have shown that with the young squad that will hit the pitch next Thursday. There will be a bit of teething problems to overcome with many strong players benched from injury, but once the season begins, the Cats will be a formidable team to beat.
The 2011 premiers have been on the top side of the ladder for years and are in good stead to get up there again. Coming third last year was a tough pill to swallow for the club, as they could have easily been up against Hawthorn for the cup if a quarter went their way.
Collingwood:
It will be a new look team as coach Nathan Buckly shapes and moulds new recruits to his liking. Greek Australian player and former Lion Patrick Karnezis has made no secret about how much he looked up to the Magpie star, and with a whole team of devotees, the popular club won’t be disappointing its fans.
It’s been four years since the premiership win, so the pressure is mounting for a top four finish again.
Sydney Swans:
Is $10 million spent to secure Lance ‘Buddy’ Franklin for nine years worth it? We’ll see that this week when they come up against GWS Giants tonight.
The pricetag will be a sore point for fans if Franklin doesn’t manage to stay healthy and game ready for most of the season.
The season was lost last year thanks to too many injuries, so coach John Longmire will need to have good back ups to sustain a solid performance till September.
West Coast Eagles:
Adjusting to a new coach will show in the early rounds of the season, but former Hawthorn assistant coach Adam Simpson will be craving a formidable team within the season. It was 12 years of John Worsford and getting the team out of the veteran’s habits will be tough.
Preseason performances have been impressive, and with a largely fit list the Eagles could bring a lot of suprises to the normal league leaders.
North Melbourne:
It was in the close matches that the Kangaroos fell last season. Defence is the key for coach Brad Scott this year after its attack heavy season last year didn’t end up with the results they wanted. He will try and bolster possession and get players kicking important goals to gain bigger leads.
Coming tenth last year, many commentators aren’t tipping the Kangaroos to do much better this year if change isn’t apparent in their round one match against Essendon next Friday.
Port Adelaide:
Port Adelaide Power showed they could keep the momentum going last year and finishing a well deserved seventh. But this year, the fight for the top ten will be extra tough and might leave the Power behind.
They’re struggling with injury in a vulnerable place, as forwards Jay Schulz and John Butcher not at their best.
They take on a tough opponent in round one, playing Carlton on Sunday.
Essendon:
Nothing could go worse for Essendon as it stands. Supplement abuse, a $2 million fine and the suspension of coach James Hird for 12 months.
Caretaker coach Mark Thompson knows last year’s memory won’t fade anytime soon, but at least has a clean run to his new team playing again.
The preseason has not looked good for Essendon, giving up a five-goal lead to lose to the Gold Coast Suns, followed by bigger losses to Port Adelaide and Richmond.
Gold Coast Suns:
Now in their third year, the Suns will be looking to improve. With 14 losses, their 14th position was deserved, but with a lot of young talent, the team might be looking for long term goals. Not many teams can say they had a lot of luck when they started out, but with a strong head on Garry Ablett’s shoulders and a growing squad, there should be more momentum this year.
St Kilda:
St Kilda will be looking to rebuild itself after a disappointing finish last year. New coach Alan Richardson will have to fill the void of strong retired players and give the newbie’s good game time.
Many are predicting a rocky road for St Kilda in 2014 but improving game plan is a skill that will flow on to the next season.
Adelaide Crows:
It wasn’t the best year for the Crows in 2013. Finishing top four in 2012, it was a step backwards for the side finishing 11th.
Their losses piled up, while the wins weren’t consistent.
Coach Brenton Sanderson has signalled a new approach for 2014, emphasising more run and carry and linking handballs with less kicking. We’ll see what they’ve learned in their match against Geelong on Thursday.
Western Bulldogs:
Despite the positive vibes in and around the Dogs at the moment, this is still a team that was beaten by Melbourne midway through last season, and as such it would be foolish to expect miracles in 2014.
Brendan McCartney took over a squad in a rebuilding phase and has kept his instructions simple, and now in 2014, his methods are almost ready to pay off.
Carlton:
The team holds the third oldest team in the league, but the talent is solid. If they can keep greats like Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Chris Judd, Thomas and Matthew Kruezer at their best, the club can expect a top five finish.
Jarrad Waite is a key in the success of Carlton, and if he isn’t in form, their ladder position might struggle.
GWS Giants:
As the newbies, and the wooden spooners, there’s a lot of hope for the team. They’ve secured some strong trades, even if Lance Franklin eluded them, so
expect a lot of game time for defenders Heath Shaw from the Magpies and Josh Hunt from the Cats and ruckman Shane Mumford from the Swans.
Brisbane Lions:
If new coach Justin Leppitsch can establish a clear game plan outside of Michael Voss’ tactics, increase Brisbane’s possession and trust some impressive young players, it could be an interesting season.
Building solid groundwork takes time, and a short pre-season isn’t enough to get a team playing fantastically with a new coach and a team struggling with defecting players.
Melbourne:
Languishing at the bottom of the ladder for a couple of years, Melbourne isn’t looking to change any time soon.
At the helm is AFL veteran Paul Roos, a tough coach that is expected to carve a different sort of play for the team.
The goal this season will be to get crucial wins and hopefully move up the ladder, even if it’s a modest move.
