Will jumping Joe reach new heights this season? In 2017 we saw Daniher do some special things in the red and black and he is still only 23 years old. How much more can he improve? We will see this year…
- Gold Coast under Stuart Dew
The last three years at the Suns have been years to forget. After an impressive 2013, they were expected to push for the finals in 2014 but failed to deliver and finished 12th on the ladder.
Gold Coast have since fallen down the rung even further and finished one spot away from the wooden spoon in 2017.
They have lost a number of star players and it has been made pretty clear that Gold Coast is not a destination club.
While not acquiring much more ready-to-play talent over this off-season, they have found themselves a new coach in Stuart Dew who is young and is coming from clubs with great professional cultures in Hawthorn and Sydney.
Dew’s professionalism and fresh perspective could make more difference to the Suns than any star recruit could.
- Geelong’s Super Trio
The favourite son returns to create one of the most star-power filled midfields the competition has seen in recent years. Can we call it Gary Dangerwood?
Add in Mitch Duncan and Sam Menegola plus the size and fitness of Mark Blicavs, and it could be scary. But who is going to kick the goals?
- Richmond back to back?
Will the Tiger Train roll on into 2018? Some think yes, others think no. Teams will be coming for Richmond now that they are the reigning premiers.
They aren’t the underdogs anymore and their high pressure and fast game style will have been thoroughly analysed throughout the off-season. Where does the next phase of improvement come from? Does Dusty have another level?
- Jaegar’s Knee
It has been a long time since we’ve seen the best of Jaegar O’Meara. He missed the entire 2015 and 2016 seasons because of an extensive knee injury before making the move to Hawthorn.
His 2017 season was also cut significantly short because of his ongoing knee issues and he managed only six games in the brown and gold. Hawthorn are in desperate need of a player of his class running through the midfield this year but how will the knee hold up? Will he ever be the same player as the 2013 Rising Star winner?
Will this be the year they go one step further and get that premiership? They have arguably been the best and most dominant team of the last couple of years but have just fallen short.
The addition of Bryce Gibbs should help take some of the pressure off Rory Sloane but they also have to fill Jake Lever’s position. The Crows will be hungrier than ever and the Adelaide Oval could become a scary place for teams to travel to this year.
- Tom Lynch’s Contract
A lot of people think contract talk should be left until the end of the season but until Tom Lynch puts pen to paper, this is going to be one of the biggest stories of the year.
He is undoubtedly one of the most talented young forwards in the AFL and there are a number of big clubs who are in need of a good young forward. Will the idea of playing a sold-out MCG lure him to back to Melbourne? Or will loyalty prevail? God help the Suns if it doesn’t…
- The Bounce
Surely this year is its last chance. The opinions are strong from all angles and it seems as though AFL officials are nervous about making too many changes to an already great game. There is nothing like the sound of that first bounce in a Grand Final.
Will he sink or swim after the departure of Nick Riewoldt? The spot for him is there and the Saints aren’t overflowing with other forward options. If McCartin doesn’t flourish early in the season, Josh Battle will be nipping at his heels to take the spot. Should he ask Caleb Daniel where he gets his helmets from?
We know they are immensely talented. We know they still haven’t reached their full potential. We know that off-field dramas are the main cause for that. What we don’t know is if the weight of the off-field drama has been lifted and they are free to just play footy and reach that potential. Harley Bennell is into his third season at his new club in Fremantle now and after his first couple of seasons were hampered by injuries, will we see him shine this year? The Dockers need him to.
Jake Stringer has just joined Essendon and has been welcomed with open arms by some of the club’s leaders. Hopefully this sees a change in his work ethic and he can get back to the form he showed in 2014 which earned him the nickname ‘The Package’.
