Season 2024 is finally here – well now that the weird Opening Round is out of the way.
And if it feels like a long time coming … You’re wrong. This is the earliest start to a season since the year 2000.
Although, Magpie fans squawking about how likely they are to go ‘back-to-back’ all summer, ensures time doesn’t, in fact, fly.
Whether Craig McRae’s band of merry men can do it all again, and win their first double since 1936, remains to be seen. But it won’t be easy.
Collingwood won its three finals by just a combined total of 12 points. And speaking of slim margins, five of last year’s nine finals – including the Grand Final – were decided by seven points or less.
It’s a tight field, so picking a premiership favourite this year seems tougher than usual.
So Perth AFL Predictions
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Offseason movers
Sydney Swans
Sydney acted like Don Corelone and made offers ‘they couldn’t refuse’. Quick and direct negotiations ensured deals were done well before deadline day.
The biggest move (quite literally – he’s 202cm tall) was that of ruckman Brodie Grundy. 12 months after making the switch from Collingwood to Melbourne, Grundy will walk straight into the Swans’ best 23. He’s joined by Taylor Adams (Collingwood), James Jordan (Melbourne) and Joel Hamling (Fremantle).
Grundy, Adams and Jordan will add experience (465 games of it) and class to their already impressive list, while Hamling should provide crucial depth to the backline, after it suffered personnel issues last season.
Hawthorn Hawks
Hawthorn was busy during the trade period too. Jack Ginnivan swapped being a Magpie for a Hawk. Which, in the animal kingdom is pretty cool, but in the AFL world, means he’s unlikely to add another premiership medal any time soon.
They plucked goalkicker Jack Gunston back from Brisbane 12 months after he left, Gold Coast’s 2022 leading goalkicker Marbior Chol and speedy half-back Massimo D’Ambrosio from Essendon.
The Hawks probably won’t play finals this year, but these moves will surely help them get there within a couple of seasons.
Fremantle Dockers
The Dockers’ off-season moves were great … for West Coast supporters, maybe.
They lost Lachie Schultz (Collingwood), Liam Henry (St Kilda) and Joel Hamling, but didn’t get back much in return.
It continues the worrying trend of key players leaving the club in recent years – Blake Acres, Griffin Logue, Rory Lobb, Adam Cerra, Brad Hill, Ed Langdon and Lachie Neale, to name a few.
West Coast Eagles
Harley Reid. That’s all you need to know.
If you somehow missed the 347 back-page photos of this bloke, the Eagles have secured the most talked about first-year player since Nathan Buckley in 1993.
Could he be the saviour?! … Probably not. But it doesn’t hurt to dream.
Other notable moves
Essendon secured Ben McKay and Todd Goldstein (who grew up a Bombers fan) from North Melbourne, Xavier Duursma from Port Adelaide and Saint Jade Gresham.
And if you thought Taylor Swift had a good love story, you’ll enjoy the tale of Port Adelaide chasing Esava Raugolea for 12 months, before finally getting their man on the final day of trade. His move from Geelong was one of four on deadline day, with another key defender Brandon Zerk-Thatcher (Essendon) and rucks Ivan Soldo (Richmond) and Jordon Sweet (Western Bulldogs) agreeing to sign for the Power.
Tom Doedee (Adelaide to Brisbane), Paddy Dow (Carlton to St Kilda), Jacob Koschitzke (Hawthorn to Richmond), Tyler Brockman (Hawthorn to West Coast), Zac Fisher (Carlton to North) and Dylan Stephens (Sydney to North Melbourne) are also big ones to watch.
Key players coming back
Richmond Tigers
If gun forward Tom Lynch and intercepting defender Josh Gibcus can stay fit for the majority of the season, Richmond can play finals.
Lynch kicked nine goals in the only four games he played last season, before a foot injury ended his 2023 campaign.
Gibcus missed the entire year, after winning the club’s Best First Year Player award in 2022.
Port Adelaide Power
Mitch Georgiades is likely to come back later on in the season, but when he does, he’ll give Port a heap of extra power (he’s a lot better than these puns).
His 2023 season was ended by an ACL injury, after an impressive 2021 campaign – kicking 32 goals – and was serviceable in 2022.
Carlton Blues
People seem to have forgotten about Zac Williams. The unlucky defender has missed 38 of Carlton’s last 39 games, after suffering an achilles injury and then an ACL.
The Blues were already a flag contender off the back of last season’s preliminary final berth, but after adding the hard-running defender into the mix … Look out.
West Coast Eagles
Four-time All-Australian Jeremy McGovern hasn’t played a full season since 2019. He tore his hamstring in Round 3 last year, and didn’t return to the field until Round 17.
He’s crucial to the Eagles’ defence, and if he can stay fit, he’ll make a huge difference down back. And a huge difference, they need. It can’t get much worse than copping over 116 points per game.
Fremantle Dockers
Matt Taberner played just four games last season, before undergoing surgery.
Dockers fans would love to see him get through an injury-free season, but he hasn’t done that since 2020 – a campaign which saw him win the club goalkicking and earn an All-Australian nomination.
Award predictions
Brownlow: Errol Gulden (Sydney) – Last year saw him earn a first-time All-Australian, a Bob Skilton Medal and a fourth-place finish in the Brownlow. He’s also the best kick in the competition.
Coleman: Charlie Curnow (Carlton) – Why not? He’s won it two years running. Kicked 78 to win in 2023 and 64 in 2022. This will probably be the third in a row.
Rising Star: Ryley Sanders (Western Bulldogs) – There’s just something about this kid. The pick 6 is a strong-bodied midfielder who doesn’t stop running. Also wears long socks with black boots – which should help him stand out.
Premiers: Brisbane – They’ve played finals for five consecutive seasons, and surely after missing out on a flag by four points, there’s enough desire to make 2024 their year.
Three breakout players to watch
1 – Oscar Allen (West Coast) — Appointed co-captain after a brilliant 2023 season with 53 goals. He could get even better.
2 – Keidean Coleman (Brisbane) — From round 14, he had 20 or more disposals in seven of 12 games, including 26 touches in the Grand Final.
3 – Mattaes Phillipou (St Kilda) — Inconsistent in his debut season, as can be expected, but played every game and showed glimpses of brilliance. Look out this year.
West Coast Ladder Position: 17th — Better than North, but can’t see much improvement from last year. (Sorry)
Fremantle Ladder Position: 14th — Same as last year, 10 wins. Hard to see improvement. Still better than West Coast. (Sorry, again).
West Coast Eagles
The big questions to be answered in the 2024 AFL season for the West Coast Eagles.
1. What can we expect from Harley Reid in his first season?
If you’re basing this on the hype, then this bloke will win West Coast the flag this year.
If you take a breath however, and accept the fact he’s an 18-year-old with a heap of pressure and growth to come, we can expect him to work into the season at a steady pace.
Coach Adam Simpson has already said he’ll manage Reid by playing him as a half-back (think Nick Daicos and Harry Sheezel), before throwing him in the middle, then rotating up forward for short stints.
Simpson says he’ll even look at resting him throughout the year to limit his workload.
No doubt this kid has incredible talent and strength for his age, but we might not see it come through straight away.
2. Who is going to be a standout in WCE midfield?
There’s been a lot of chat about Elliott Yeo this pre-season, who is set to reprise his spot in the midfield after overcoming a string of bad injuries.
The 30-year-old has played 192 games but just 27 in the last three years, and hasn’t put together more than 12 games in a season since 2019.
He’s been to Qatar to get some specialist treatment, and looks more than ready to make an immediate impact. The Eagles finished a clear last in total clearances throughout 2023, so he’ll have to.
If you have a fit Yeo in a midfield featuring the likes of Tim Kelly, Reuben Ginbey, Elijah Hewett and others, things don’t look too bad for the Eagles.
3. Is West Coast on the up or will it be another year at the bottom?
Look, it can’t get any worse than last year. So the only way is up.
There were some good signs with Tim Kelly playing his best season since coming over from Geelong, Oscar Allen showing he’s one of the best forwards in the competition and some youngsters like Ginbey, Hewett and Noah Long proving they’re ones for the long haul.
It’s reasonable to think they could beat their 2023 season tally of three wins this season, maybe even by a couple, but they won’t be anywhere near the top eight.
4. What if West Coast limits the injuries this season?
The Eagles have had so many injuries over the past few seasons, there are those who actually believe the club is cursed.
Yeo, McGovern, Tom Barrass, Liam Ryan, Tom Cole and Dom Sheed, just to name a small few, have missed significant chunks of games. Any of those players injury-free, make a huge difference.
If the Eagles can keep fit, for the first time in forever, it’s a very different side.
5. Will Adam Simpson see out the season?
Probably – is the short answer.
He’s signed on until the end of the season, but if it’s looking like things aren’t any better than last year’s horrific campaign, it won’t take much for the hierarchy to make a change.
Fremantle Dockers
The big questions to be answered in the 2024 AFL season for the Fremantle Dockers.
1. Will Fyfe play a major role in the team for the ’24 season?
He sure will.
Fremantle has committed to putting the veteran back where he belongs – in the midfield. His stints up forward clearly didn’t work.
He’ll be back in the role in which he won two Brownlow medals, and while you don’t expect him to play at those same levels at the age of 32, he’s completed his largest body of football work in Justin Longmuir’s five pre-seasons as coach.
High Fyfe, Dockers fans!
2. Is there enough firepower in the forward line?
No.
There’s the potential to be, but the Dockers need more goalkickers. They have relied on far too few.
Last season Jye Amiss was the only reliable forward, slotting 41. Lachie Schultz (who isn’t there anymore) and Michael Walters were the next best with just 33 each.
Another problem for the Dockers is they don’t get it down there that often either – ranked 16th for inside 50s in 2023.
3. How will they best utilise Luke Jackson?
Jackson had a solid debut season for the Dockers, and played his best footy when he wasn’t sharing ruck duties with Sean Darcy late in the season.
Playing as the no.1 ruck is what suits him best, and when he’s able to use his athleticism up the ground and work his opponent over. But adding him as a key target up forward at times may help with the goalkicking issues.
4. Will Serong and Brayshaw take the next step to become part of the AFL elite midfielders?
At 22, Caleb Serong is already pretty ‘elite’. He claimed an All-Australian blazer and his first Doig Medal last year, averaging over 30 disposals and seven clearances per game.
Andrew Brayshaw finished second in the best and fairest with a brilliant season also.
He’s on the verge of being ‘elite’, although with the addition of Fyfe and Hayden Young moving into the midfield this year to ease some of the burden, you can expect him to take that next step.
5. Will Justin Longmuir survive?
Footy is cruel sometimes. And Justin Longmuir may learn that the hard way this year.
It may seem unfair, but he could be one of the first coaches on the chopping block.
The Dockers overachieved in 2022, so the 2023 season looked worse than it should have.
The board won’t care that they had the fourth-youngest squad last year and third-least experienced. And now that they’ve lost even more experience during the trade period, it won’t get any easier.
The Dockers need to play finals to ensure the coach survives. And they won’t.
Sorry, JL.
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