Early 2025 AFL Ladder Prediction!

[@HeavyCarts]

The pass mark for Essendon this year is positive %. It will show we have become defensively sound and can score. I don’t care about wins/losses or ladder position. I just don’t want close wins and big losses.

[@benhc11]

This is a smart, rational take. I agree.

[@SmokeyBandit500]

Well said. That's the pass mark but the goal should be a finals win.

[@everythingessendon548]

Love it, I want to see big wins and not so big losses

[@jamesallchin7557]

Excellent take. I rate a positive % ahead of making finals, let alone a finals win. It's the first step that needs to be taken.

[@travy111]

if we end up +% we make finals.

[@dennisgreen6222]

I'm a little more optimistic about us and less so than you about the Pies this year Felix, but as usual a fantastic breakdown mate. Cheers and go Bombers!

[@zingleraster9124]

I agree

[@mobbarley9035]

Bad break down...everyone's getting leeway on injuries except us. If we don't make the 8 I'll eat my hat. Collingwood 3rd, please. Freo up, lol. My mum could coach this list to a finals win..and she's 80, got dementia, had 4 strokes and can't see. 😜

[@dennisgreen6222]

@@mobbarley9035 😂😂 I'm hoping you don't have to eat that hat...!

[@everythingessendon548]

Hope you are right, don’t like seeing the Pies up and about

[@shaunhalligan7389]

Well said. You always give a honest and realistic opinion. I agree with your predictions.. Let's hope the young ones perform and we excel into 25.. Go BOMBERS ❤

[@everythingessendon548]

Cheers mate, Go Bombers!

[@cinemacantina5580]

Cats fan here but I'm pretty bullish about the Dons this year. Sat in the top four for the better half of a month and in the eight for the first half of last season. After Carlton mauled us in round 15 last year I was apprehensive about playing the bombers the following week, given their recent output.. I look at Essendon as a glass half full kind of team this year, I think Stringer's departure will open new avenues for the forward line, Caddy and Kako a prime example and will be a formidable duo, improvement from youngsters likes of Durham and Martin, as well as some late draft steals the likes of Day-Wicks which will bolster your depth. I reckon Dons are a sneaky chance for the eight this year.

[@everythingessendon548]

I like that outlook, I hope all Cats fans are as level as you

[@rosslaws7699]

Love your work. Such a difficult task but I think it makes sense. Wishfully thinking bombers to win a final. Everything would have to go our way…… injuries, young guys having break out years, etc.

[@everythingessendon548]

Stranger things have happened

[@liushuai2993]

You've pretty much nailed it, especially what you're saying about the entire competition will be closer than even it has been. A little closer to home though, where Essendon will be exposed the most is the %%%. In a tight competition, percentage is everything. Beating the lower sides by one point week after week will ruin any chance of a decent spot at the pointy end, simply because there'll be half a dozen other sides will simply steamroll wherever Essendon are on the ladder... because other sides are capable of putting the lower sides away (though Essendon don't have that ability at the moment.) Essendon needs the ruthlessness that good sides have, unfortunately though... the current Essendon side just don't have it. Solly on the board is ridiculous, he needs to be the Defence coach... not standing round wearing a tie. Geelong, yep. Like I said in the beginning... I recon you nailed it.

[@everythingessendon548]

Would love to see us batter some teams again, hasn’t happened for a while

[@Johny-jy5vo]

Of course Essendon content will have hawks missing the 8 Hawthorns so called easy draw last year included playing the reigning premiers twice Geelong twice and gws twice Was actually rated the 5th hardest draw at the beginning of the year but Richmond fell away so playing them twice helped and north twice helped but there were 14 wins from their last 18 games With young players gaining more experience and the versatility barras and battle bring to the team, i wouldn’t be surprised if hawks win the flag 2nd favourites on almost every betting app

[@rainhawkins]

Damn your logic and sound reasoning - 2025 Baby Bombers to win the premiership flag!

[@CuzzoKeoCampingAdventures]

Felix id love to see a short video of who are the top 5-7 players this year fully fit and uninterrupted injury could potentially take us higher up the ladder this year. And also who could potentially go to another level this year or a player that could announce themselves in a big way.

[@everythingessendon548]

I was thinking of a squad tier list kinda video, pretty similar

[@CuzzoKeoCampingAdventures]

@@everythingessendon548 Sounds great mate. Keep up the great work👍🏽

[@sterow]

Spot on re Hawthorn. The top 4 talk is overblown. They did well but sometimes teams get on rolls and look better than they are (just as sometimes they get in funks and look worse than they are.) Everyone will be ready for them this year, where they got a few wins at the start of their run last year from teams taking them lightly. I am much more inclined to think the Pies do badly (so many old players, and they don’t renew magically like Geelong). I like the theory that they actually had a window that was open for a few years, and the 2018 and 2023 GFs were at each end.

[@everythingessendon548]

Not sold on the Hawks just yet

[@Rene.A.D]

Hawthorn will make the TOP 3 and fight for the premiership this year!

[@Daniel-w9p8v]

It's a fair assessment of where we are at. There are just too many players that are way too inconsistent. The spotlight is firmly on players like Perkins, cox, Reid, Hobbs, Tsatas etc. if they can't reach the levels then it's likely we've completely bottled 2 drafts which would be catastrophic

[@shaunhalligan7389]

@Daniel-w9p8v who else do we target if Scott goes?

[@dougkercher3364]

Like the McGrath draft

[@mobbarley9035]

Theyre all under their peak mate...its only up for them. Tsatas is looking good now. Perkins showed signs, Reid keeps getting injured but a gun. Theyre still young. The bad luck cant hold forever

[@everythingessendon548]

Yep, we need our young players to step up

[@Daniel-w9p8v]

@@shaunhalligan7389 no idea, last time we tried an untried coach it didn't work out so well... I'm hoping that Scott gets this group going and we don't have to worry about that lol.

[@bretttempleton836]

I TRULY BELIEVE WE WILL MAKE TOP 8

[@everythingessendon548]

Love the optimism

[@therealmanman7576]

Think Melbourne will do something special this year, they have got something to prove

[@daniel4655]

Eternal optimist. Still think we can scrap into the 8

[@damienmorgan928]

I have us to make 11th spot Felix. I believe in guys like Durham and Caldwell to push us forward. Big watch on them blokes this year!

[@everythingessendon548]

Cannot wait to see what Durham can do this year

[@dantem5228]

This is my rough preseason ladder. GWS Carlton Collingwood Brisbane Lions Sydney Fremantle Geelong Hawthorn ----------------------------- Western Bulldogs Adelaide Port Adelaide Essendon St Kilda Melbourne Gold Coast North Melbourne West Coast Richmond

[@everythingessendon548]

Wouldn’t mind a GWS flag

[@ashleyhughes4132]

Good prediction as a follow bombers supporter I agree with where they’re gonna finish but I think the Giants will finish a little higher than sixth and I think the lions might drop a little bit

[@jpw5029]

I reckon west coast will surprise

[@everythingessendon548]

If they can start winning games at home

[@jpw5029]

@@everythingessendon548 that’s first step. Eagles could go anyway, their players have injury problems, new coach, weak kpd depth but they actually have a list better than most give credit for, which is understandable cause they been sucking. But I rate their list much better than clubs like Essendon and st Kilda.

[@Anonymousbluescfc]

Carlton fan here would like to see essendon fire up

[@Moby79]

Generally very good and solid reasoning Felix. I don’t get the love for Collingwood….🤷🏻‍♂️ Yeah, they have a couple of real A graders - however they are too dependent upon their pensioners and l can see a rapid decline with their older players.

[@everythingessendon548]

That’s what I’m most worried about, they are ancient

[@psymgee]

North Melbourne getting light headed 😂 gold!

[@everythingessendon548]

They’ll be giving Clarkson a statue

[@jamesallchin7557]

I cannot understand everybody's insistence that Adelaide are a good side. To me, they are actually below Essendon in terms of "on paper" talent (not to say Essendon will be any better either), and their coach has shown no earthshattering game style. Thilthorpe is unproven. I just don't get it.

[@DesyncGaming.]

Yer I have seen loads of people expecting Adelaide to shoot up the ladder. I don’t see it

[@Prodigy97cast1]

Agreed

[@everythingessendon548]

Possibly the benefit of living in SA, but I see this team being too good to not rise up the ladder

[@blade5883]

Adelaide Crows better than Essendon lmao

[@StevenBoyle-fg4nc]

I hope we can be competitive against Geelong this year, sick of being belted by them.

[@everythingessendon548]

They give me nightmares

[@storm4743]

@@everythingessendon548 Every team Gives Essendon Nightmares lol

[@J_ZD]

13th would be a disaster but Melbourne coming 16th would soften the blow somewhat. We need to finish bottom 4 as our list is clearly not good enough for finals and we can't be stuck in no mans land for another year. Play the yoof and go backwards to improve in the next few years, its the only way forward for us. I've got us in 15th ATM but can definitely see us finishing a bit higher Agree with pretty much everything else except Adelaide top 8 and Collingwood top 4

[@everythingessendon548]

I’ll be praying the Dees are as bad as we think they might be

[@windyhillbomber]

Picks 3 and 6 incoming plus potentially pick 7 if Draper goes on Free Agency

[@everythingessendon548]

2020 all over again

[@Sam-zu8pc]

I think you’ve absorbed too much of the crows preseason hype living in Adelaide mate! I honestly can’t believe you’d think them a better team than the mighty bombers!!

[@everythingessendon548]

Possibly! But I get the feeling things will click for them

[@blade5883]

Crows better than Essendon lmao

[@davidmacaulay8306]

I dont care where we finish as long as we finish strong and show we can get thru a season. Im going to insert my membership card into someone if we have another give up after 15 rounds effort.

[@everythingessendon548]

I think I’ll start supporting Gold Coast if we blow a finals chance again

[@jezzalanko]

If we finish out of the bottom four I will be surprised My top 8 in no order Geelong Collingwood Fremantle Brisbane Adelaide Hawthorn Bulldogs Sydney

[@everythingessendon548]

Definitely a chance to be down that low

[@scraggythebeast141]

If we can stay around the same spot as last I this year I would take it as a win.

[@everythingessendon548]

Me too, especially with all the players that left

[@Capital.Bomber]

I actually think we finish higher than 13. We started well in last 2 seasons but fell off a cliff. Coaches will be doing all that is possible to address this. Plus I predict some of our players will go to a new level. Pies are just too old and Crows worry me. North will be higher than 16 this year. Fingers crossed..go Bombers.

[@everythingessendon548]

Hope you are right! Go Dons

[@sterow]

We could finish anywhere. The case for lower than last year is we lost good players and have brought in youth. But there are a few ways we could go better. Notably the forward line dysfunction threw away games last year. I think it’s plausible the forward mix this year is better, even if the talent on paper isn’t as good without Stringer.

[@liushuai2993]

@@sterow I wouldn't let Caddy ANYWHERE NEAR a tv camera this year. The pressure that boy is under already (because Jake is no longer his steadying influence on the park) is gonna be immense. The best thing Essendon could do is keep him out of the limelight, and allow him to concentrate on improving in front of goal... this is where his improvement needs to be if Essendon are going to win ANY games. Keep that bloody BT away from him as well. And Kako? The Same!!

[@sterow]

@ Agree on expectations. In terms of actual 2025 performance, I think the hope is that Wright can return to something like his best form, and that Langford can be more effective without competing with Stringer. Caddy and Kako are (hopefully!) the future, but don’t need to be more than support this year. I’d also love to see Menzie get back to his promising early form, and more out of Gresham.

[@henveeee]

Pretty agreeable list, everything looks more or less accurate.

[@everythingessendon548]

Lovely! Hopefully I’m wrong about us though

[@henveeee]

@everythingessendon548 i think you guys will be alright, hopefully draper grows up and steps up a bit

[@henveeee]

Parish too, Bombers are usually slightly underrated each year imo

[@thome7318]

Collingwood will struggle to make top 8 and Geelong struggle to make top 4. They are both so so so old, which they kind of got away with the last couple of seasons. But it's getting worse every season. Time is up

[@everythingessendon548]

Geelong are actually younger than they were when they won the flag, I think they’ll be alright

[@user-dj2xn]

geelong aren’t old anymore, they have a lot of youth in their best 23

[@thome7318]

Well there goes my theory LOL. I need to check this year's list ages clearly.

[@davidcollins8574]

You have no idea about geelongs list. Awesome under 23/24 list

[@Johny-jy5vo]

Geelong being the only Victorian team with a legitimate home ground home crowd advantage will get walked into the finals again 10 games at gmhba stadium will net them 7-8 wins which means they only need 4-5 wins from the other 13 games to make finals The biggest afl drip fed club of the last 2 decades

[@piledrive]

with Nic Newman out for the year for carton, i think they will struggle to make the 8

[@wiselistener4978]

Bottom 4 for sure. Second last. From a Bomber fan.

[@everythingessendon548]

Wouldn’t be surprised

[@DesyncGaming.]

If Geelong finish on top ima off myself 😂

[@everythingessendon548]

Well we gotta hope they finish 2nd now

[@Matthew_Scan]

I’d just like us not to fall away in the second half of the year

[@everythingessendon548]

Can’t fall away if you never get started

[@danielkemble1418]

ports motto we exist to win premierships lets prove the haters wrong guys

[@everythingessendon548]

Essendon barely exist

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

Richmond will make the afl great again

[@halfbeak1064]

Gives us picks 3, 6, 23 and 24 for next year... yes please!!

[@everythingessendon548]

That’s a haul and a half

[@The123fiona]

​@@everythingessendon548Doesn't measure up to the 3 top 10s that delivered Cox, Reid and Jones and three years of no discernible improvement. Think about that Guru Bob.

[@zwski396]

Might be the rivalry talking but I think Pies and Blues won't quite get to top 4. Bombers is hard. If we squeeze out youth I see us getting up to 11th. If we prioritize playing the kids (which i'd prefer) I see as as low as bottom 4.

[@everythingessendon548]

I think it’ll be a blend of both, I think we have no choice but to play some young players given how young our list is as a whole

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

GEELONG TOP ADELAIDE 13TH

[@storm4743]

Here's mine .... 1 GWS 2 Brisbane 3 Geelong 4 Carlton 5 Coll'wood 6 Port 7 Hawthorn 8 Sydney _____________ 9 Fremantle 10 WB 11 Melbourne 12 Gold Coast Suns 13 Adelaide 14 St.Kilda 15 Essendon 16 North Melb 17 WCE 18 Richmond My Grand final winner for 2025 is GWS

[@everythingessendon548]

GWS flag would be better than any other outcome in that 8

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

Brisbane 2nd Collingwood 3rd

[@maxharrison8618]

Adelaide are bang average

[@everythingessendon548]

I hope so! Gives us another team to leapfrog

[@blade5883]

Better than Essendon lmao

[@rightyo5924]

certainly hope Melbourne finish 16th haha

[@everythingessendon548]

Give me that draft pick

[@rightyo5924]

@ bloody oath haha

[@theboringlife7265]

you got to much faith in my doggies, I reckon we will be 17th this year :(

[@everythingessendon548]

Can’t put Bont in the bottom 4, just doesn’t feel right

[@zaccohen2539]

If Essendon finishes 13th, Scott needs to go. I can see great things for this team and I reckon we can absolutely make and win a final. I'm predicting a baby bombers resurgence.

[@BinksyyMusic]

no. we can't keep sacking coaches after every few years. Scott may not win us our next premiership, but we need stability for once.

[@HeavyCarts]

This is a poor take. It is why Essendon stays mid ladder. We are making changes off field that takes time to flow through to on field performance. Brasco needs 2 more years before we even think of replacing him.

[@DesyncGaming.]

👎

[@jj112499]

Brain dead take

[@shaunhalligan7389]

@zaccohen2539 who do we target if Scott goes?

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

Sydney to drop to 15th

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

BRISBANE GEELONG GRAND FINAL

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

FREO TO FINISH 6TH

[@FluffyKing43]

My Ladder Predictions Giants Lions Dockers Cats Swans Pies Dogs Suns Port Hawks Blues Crows Saints Roos Dons Dees Eagles Tigers

[@stevenwhitehead-g3l]

Carlton 12th

[@billbaggins1688]

Collingwood to miss the finals. Houston over-rated, anyone can get touches coming off half back. Membrey will not kick enough goals. The pies lack key position players. And North will finish above Essendon.

[@anidiotabroad5318]

Brisbane v Collingwood gf

[@Space-.-]

early

[@everythingessendon548]

Too early

[@Mark-yh4jn]

Hello thanks for amazing awesome could I please be your best friend ever

[@sweatyfootenjoyer]

Is it a legal requirement of an AFL channel to do a ladder predication video?

[@everythingessendon548]

Yep, Police were at my door

[@pianojoe21]

Lol the dogs were 1st for points against, 2nd for points for.....sliding to 10th would be a massive drop-off. High % team who really should have been top 4 in 2024. Good luck with that prediction 😉

[@everythingessendon548]

They looked miles off it when it mattered most, I am pretty comfortable with them missing finals

[@J_ZD]

someones gotta drop out from last year. They are pretty flaky at times

[@blade5883]

Crows top 8 🔥

[@everythingessendon548]

Got high hopes for them

[@mobbarley9035]

Below gold coast....trippen

[@everythingessendon548]

They beat us twice last year 🤷‍♂️

[@davidmacaulay8306]

Cats will slide. Luckiest team in the comp. Go planes

[@everythingessendon548]

Hope so, gotta play them twice which would be a nightmare if they are still any good

[@user-dj2xn]

easily the worst take i’ve ever heard

[@liushuai2993]

After reading lots of comments here, let's take a look at the current Essendon list then compare it with the Baby bombers in 93. Olerenshaw and Fletcher were still at school, Misiti was only 19. Dunno how many exactly though that side had lots of kids who'd only played a few games. They had a few older blokes as well for sure, Salmon was 27 or 28... Mark Harvey had a few years on himself as well. Timmy was at the end. So, what's the biggest difference in these two sides... apart from the 93 side winning the flag? I say lots. Firstly, they had the genius of Sheedy... and they also did NOT have the apprehension of expectation that this current side has. Sheedy was all for "have a go son, you're never gonna know if you don't have a go." THIS is the mindset that the current coaching staff need to have with the kids they've got at their disposal for 2025 and beyond. Don't keep your kids in the 2nds, just because you're afraid of losing in the 1sts. Give the kids a run, and keep running them. I've said it a million times already and blokes still don't get it. If you don't play your kids, how will they ever gain experience? Sheedy played Fletcher on bloody Kernahan for the flag. There was Fletcher, still living at home and shaped like a thermometer... playing A Grade footy. Granted that Fletch got smashed that day, absolutely... though at least he knew what it felt like! Fletcher wasn't banished to Hawthorn because the best bloody Full forward that Carlton ever produced smashed him on Grand Final day, Fletch learnt from his experience... therefore becoming a better player. Though back to what this is all about: What are the differences between the 93 side and this year's list? (At this time of year.) It'll be interesting to read the comments from the older blokes who can remember back that far, without relying on KZbin videos.

[@HeavyCarts]

@@liushuai2993 while I agree in principle, the list size was bigger back then so lots of players played lots of seconds footy. Gary O’Donnell played 2 seasons in the seconds. But the seconds team back then was also making and winning finals. The biggest differences for me are that we had a successful seconds team, so the kids knew how to win, and our senior players played in the 84/85/90 GFs. So they knew what it took to get to and win the biggest game of the year. While Sheedy was important, there were significant differences in the behind the scenes aspects of the club as well.

[@everythingessendon548]

Not as easy as just giving the young kids experience, look at how North have run their young players into the ground over there, times have changed since the 90s

[@FluffyKing43]

Blues are overrated

[@BrandonStephen-p6q]

Essendon has not beat Richmond twice in home and away season since 2002 Danger game for your mob iamo

[@DesyncGaming.]

Nobody cares 😂

[@everythingessendon548]

Those are the only 2 games I’m certain of winning

[@liushuai2993]

@@everythingessendon548 Richmond always turn it on for Dreamtime though, regardless of the outcome. Same as the Pies on Anzac Day. Every single game that Essendon play this year will be a danger game.

[@BrandonStephen-p6q]

@@everythingessendon548 😅

[@nadonguyen7963]

we will be bottom 4..

[@everythingessendon548]

Wouldn’t surprise me if we are

[@blade5883]

Hope so

[@liushuai2993]

It'll be because of our shit %%% that'll keep us there.

[@richardcorby8267]

Hawthorn had a joke of a draw in 24. Collingwood and Adelaide won’t make the 8. Geelong, nailed it. We are putrid. Players they you can rely on week in week out are: Merrett, Durham, Caldwell, McGrath. Ridley’s body lets him down. Thinking that we are getting improvement out of Cox, Gresham, Perkins, Parish (easily the most spineless selfish one way runner in the comp and can’t kick a football under pressure ), Draper (drinks his own bath water) is close to insanity. Bottom 4.

[@liushuai2993]

Ding ding.

[@everythingessendon548]

A few stragglers on the list right now

[@AdamSmith-on9ej]

To finish higher than 13 we would need to keep a healthy back line. Forwards will be better off without Jake and his toxicity. Top 12 is going to be so close this year.

[@everythingessendon548]

Can see this season going down to the wire for a few teams

[@JMMM1986]

Sydney 8th is laughable - Crows and Collingwood that high is even more comical

[@taliamason7986]

Not really, the Swans finished in that exact same position 2 years ago after the Cats assimilated them in the 2022 Grand Final. So its not unreasonable at all to see a similar drop off regardless of how stacked they are for talent. It simply boils down the fact that big Grand Final losses always have a huge impact on them mentally the following season.

[@mobbarley9035]

I thought Sydney was a bit low, cant see em being average

[@everythingessendon548]

Not big on the Swans, even if they finish up high I can’t trust them when it matters most.

[@JMMM1986]

@ they were a young side with different personnel in 2022 going into 2023. Just because it happened once doesnt make it a lock to happen again. I've seen several punters making the same lazy prediction. Warner, Gulden, McDonald, Blakey and McCartins best footy is ahead of them. Mills and Sheldrick to add to their on abll brigade. Come back to me in September.

[@JMMM1986]

@ not trusting them to win the flag doesn't justify 7 teams being better than them. A bombers fan not rating a consistent finals team is pretty funny though.