Mongrel Staff
Well, undeterred by the failures of 2019, the Mongrel team are back with their 2020 predictions.
Let’s call 2019 a warm-up, shall we? Yeah, that’s a good idea. Below we’ve given the regular categories so that as the season plays out, you can all throw it back in our faces, just like you do to Robert Walls, David King and anyone else silly enough to make their thoughts known early.
So, without further ado, let’s get going…
WHO WILL BE PREMIERS IN 2020?
SAM MARCOLIN – WEST COAST
ROB ABRAHAMS – WEST COAST
HB MEYERS – WEST COAST
TOM BASSO – BRISBANE
JULIAN RUSSO – GEELONG
JIMMY AYRES – BRISBANE
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – GEELONG
JOSEPH ARTHUR – COLLINGWOOD
MATT OMAN – RICHMOND
MATT PASSMORE – WEST COAST
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – COLLINGWOOD
JASON IRVINE – RICHMOND
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – WEST COAST
You Mongrels, when asked your opinion had West Coast the clear favourites with just on half of the entire vote, with Richmond little over a quarter, followed by GWS and the Western Bulldogs.
WHO WILL BE RUNNERS UP IN 2020?
SAM MARCOLIN – WESTERN BULLDOGS
ROB ABRAHAMS – RICHMOND
HB MEYERS – RICHMOND
TOM BASSO – RICHMOND
JULIAN RUSSO – WEST COAST
JIMMY AYRES – WESTERN BULLDOGS
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – RICHMOND
JOSEPH ARTHUR – WESTERN BULLDOGS
MATT OMAN – WEST COAST
MATT PASSMORE – RICHMOND
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – RICHMOND
JASON IRVINE – COLLINGWOOD
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – WESTERN BULLDOGS
TOP THREE IN THE BROWNLOW
SAM MARCOLIN – MARCUS BONTEMPELLI, PATRICK DANGERFIELD, SCOTT PENDLEBURY
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – JOSH DUNKLEY, ELLIOT YEO, MAX GAWN
HB MEYERS – CLAYTON OLIVER, LACHIE NEALE, STEPHEN CONIGLIO
TOM BASSO – LACHIE NEALE, PATRICK CRIPPS, MARCUS BONTEMPELLI
JULIAN RUSSO – PATRICK CRIPPS, LACHIE NEALE, TOM MITCHELL
JIMMY ARYES – MARCUS BONTEMPELLI, LACHIE NEALE, TOM MITCHELL
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – PATRICK CRIPPS, NAT FYFE, PATRICK DANGERFIELD
JOSEPH ARTHUR – PATRICK CRIPPS, NAT FYFE, MARCUS BONTEMPELLI
MATT OMAN – MARCUS BOTEMPELLI, PATRICK CRIPPS, TOM MITCHELL
MATT PASSMORE – NAT FYFE, PATRICK CRIPPS, MARCUS BONTEMPELLI
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – TIM KELLY
JASON IRVINE – MARCUS BONTEMPELLI, PATRICK DANGERFIELD, SCOTT PENDLEBURY
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – BRODIE GRUNDY, LACHIE NEALE, JACK MACRAE
And if we add those all together, we have the following.
Cripps and Bont – seven selections
Neale – five selections
Fyfe, Danger and Mitchell – three each
In your votes, things were only slightly different, with Bont compiling the most mentions (34) followed by Cripps (30), Neale (24) and Fyfe (19). Tim Kelly was in fifth place with ten.
COLEMAN MEDALIST
SAM MARCOLIN – BEN BROWN
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – BEN BROWN
HB MEYERS – TOM HAWKINS
TOM BASSO – BEN BROWN
JULIAN RUSSO – BEN BROWN
JIMMY ARYES – JEREMY CAMERON/ TOM LYNCH (R) – A TIE
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – JACK DARLING
JOSEPH ARTHUR – TOM LYNCH (R)
MATT OMAN – TOM LYNCH (R)
MATT PASSMORE – BEN BROWN
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – BEN BROWN
JASON IRVINE – TOM LYNCH (R)
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – JEREMY CAMERON
BEST RECRUIT
SAM MARCOLIN – JONATHON PATTON
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – TIM KELLY
HB MEYERS – DOUGAL HOWARD
TOM BASSO – BRAD HILL
JULIAN RUSSO – TIM KELLY
JIMMY ARYES – JONATHON PATTON
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – ALEX KEATH
JOSEPH ARTHUR – TIM KELLY
MATT OMAN – JONATHON PATTON
MATT PASSMORE – HUGH GREENWOOD
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – TIM KELLY
JASON IRVINE – ED LANGDON
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – CAM ELLIS-YOLMEN
Our selections were a little more diverse than yours. You guys had the name of Tim Kelly in 65% of your responses. There is some mighty high expectations of the fella from you, isn’t there?
BIGGEST IMPROVER (TEAM)
SAM MARCOLIN – MELBOURNE
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – ST KILDA
HB MEYERS – PORT ADELAIDE
TOM BASSO – ST KILDA
JULIAN RUSSO – CARLTON
JIMMY ARYES – HAWTHORN
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – MELBOURNE
JOSEPH ARTHUR – CARLTON
MATT OMAN – GOLD COAST
MATT PASSMORE – GOLD COAST
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – HAWTHORN
JASON IRVINE – GOLD COAST
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – WESTERN BULLDOGS
BIGGEST FALL (TEAM)
SAM MARCOLIN – ADELAIDE
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – FREMANTLE
HB MEYERS – COLLINGWOOD
TOM BASSO – GWS
JULIAN RUSSO – BRISBANE
JIMMY ARYES – PORT ADELAIDE
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – GWS
JOSEPH ARTHUR – ESSENDON
MATT OMAN – ADELAIDE
MATT PASSMORE – ADELAIDE
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – BRISBANE
JASON IRVINE – ESSENDON
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – ESSENDON
BREAKOUT YEAR (PLAYER)
SAM MARCOLIN – NAKIA COCKATOO
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – ZAK JONES
HB MEYERS – ADAM CERRA
TOM BASSO – CHARLIE DIXON
JULIAN RUSSO – NAKIA COCKATOO
JIMMY ARYES – DYLAN CLARKE
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – JOSH WALKER
JOSEPH ARTHUR – BEN KING
MATT OMAN – MAX KING
MATT PASSMORE – BRETT BEWLEY
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – IRVING MOSQUITO
JASON IRVINE – PATRICK LIPINSKI
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – DARCY MOORE
RISING STAR
SAM MARCOLIN – DEV ROBERTSON
HB MEYERS – IZAK RANKINE
TOM BASSO – MATT ROWELL
JIMMY ARYES – MATT ROWELL
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – MATT ROWELL
JOSEPH ARTHUR – MATT ROWELL
MATT OMAN – MATT ROWELL (MITCH GEORGIADES AS A SMOKY)
MATT PASSMORE – IZAK RANKINE
JASON IRVINE – MAX KING
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – MATT ROWELL
WOODEN SPOON
SAM MARCOLIN – GOLD COAST
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – FREMANTLE
HB MEYERS – GOLD COAST
TOM BASSO – GOLD COAST
JULIAN RUSSO – MELBOURNE
JIMMY ARYES – LEGITIMATELY UNSURE AT THIS POINT
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – ADELAIDE
JOSEPH ARTHUR – MELBOURNE
MATT OMAN – CARLTON
MATT PASSMORE – ADELAIDE
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – FREMANTLE
JASON IRVINE – FREMANTLE
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – ADELAIDE
BIGGEST STORY
SAM MARCOLIN – Chris Scott and Geelong come to mutual agreement on exit after Cats lose first final again, Scott rehired by Port Adelaide with brother Brad as assistant
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – Bye, bye Bud! Lance Franklin to retire mid-season after injury niggles
HB MEYERS – Lance Franklin pulls pin on career after breaking down again. 1000 goal not achieved.
TOM BASSO – The future of Tasmania.
JULIAN RUSSO – The Ruck position to be removed, as Chris Scott claims “It’s just not fair if it rains”
JIMMY ARYES – _________ OFFENDS _________ – Apology issued.
It may not be the biggest headline, but it will be the most consistent.
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – “I did it”. Player X identifies himself as the one who left Libba on the street that night, was in the car with Didak and Shaw, who asked Matthew Stokes to hold onto that little bag for him and told Willie Rioli to try this new energy drink he’d discovered.
JOSEPH ARTHUR – Ken Hinkley gets the axe from Port after failing to make the top eight yet again.
MATT OMAN – Fan unrest reaches boiling point, leading to one of Gillon McLachlan and Steve Hocking resigning from their positions.
MATT PASSMORE – Gold Coast rise towards finals, as further re-signings strengthen their list.
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – Gary Ablett hangs up the boots mid-season after succumbing to an injury.
JASON IRVINE – Lions out of the finals in straight sets again.
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – Tasmanian team granted licence as 19th club.
ONE PREDICTION OF ANY OTHER SORT
SAM MARCOLIN – Ratten and five high profile recruits fail to catapult the Saints above 10th spot
ROBERT ABRAHAMS – Nathan Fyfe to accumulate the most Brownlow votes but be ruled ineligible due to suspension
HB MEYERS – Ben Brown to finish second in the Coleman again after kicking 60+ for the fourth straight year. He also misses the All-Australian team, breaks down and eats an entire cow, claiming that veganism is for wankers. The crowd cheers.
TOM BASSO – Gillon McLachlan to step down by season’s end.
JULIAN RUSSO – Joe Daniher will suffer further complications with his injury and won’t play for the season.
JIMMY ARYES – Hawthorn will inevitably climb the ladder and become a challenger once again, to the dismay of most other supporters.
NICHOLAS SLUGGETT – Interstate Clubs cry foul over Victorian club “advantages” again, as the top 8 features 7 Victorian clubs.
JOSEPH ARTHUR – Jamie Elliott builds on last year’s late resurgence and rebrands himself as a midfielder for the Pies.
MATT OMAN – Port Adelaide finishes eighth, gets hammered in the elimination final, and Ken Hinkley is sacked despite Port making the finals.
MATT PASSMORE – Essendon to finish bottom 4 and begin an overhaul of the list and club.
DANIEL JON KERSHAW – West Coast win the trade with Geelong after Tim Kelly wins the Brownlow
JASON IRVINE – Jonathon Patton to kick a career-high number of goals – let’s say 58 to place top three in the Coleman.
TRENT ADAM SHIELDS – Chris Scott and Geelong part ways midway through the season. Scott takes up a special projects role with the AFL.
So, where did we go right, and more importantly, as I know you will point them out quicker, where did we go wrong? Who is closest to the pin?
Feel free to add your own predictions.