46 points

[Broadsword95]

brisbane in1997 10 wins and a drawand 1995 10 wins 12 losses.
in 95 footscray finishes 7th with 11 wins and a draw.in 96 hawthorn finished 8th with 11 wins and a draw. 99 sydney had a 11 and 11 record for 8th.2002 wce had a11 and 11 record for 8th. 2005 port finished with 11 wins and a draw for 8th.

an interesting note is a team who has finished 8th has never gone higher than 6th in other words they managed to win just one final most yrs they got belted in their first final.
a team finishing 7fh has been knocked out in the first week of finals every yr except for 3. it sort of tells us 7th and 8th spots are a waste of time and should be done away with..

I've always thought that 12 wins pretty much guarantess finals football. 11 and a draw is a good shot for making the eight.

Secondly, I don't care, so long as we're in the eight. 7th and 8th spots are disappointing for a developed team - i.e Essendon for the last 5 years or so. Essendon's 'problem' was that they continued to finish in these low finals spots, not making much of an impact in the finals and then not getting the better draft picks. Sheedy made it work, but now it's catching up with them.

Richmond are still very much a developing team, and I would be overjoyed with 8th spot, and I suspect so would the players and coaching staff. We'd be in the finals again, and there'd be that belief there that if we can make the finals this year, then given another year how much hiugher can a developing team of players go?

Bring on 8th, and I don't care if we come 9th.

 

[LeeToRainesToRoach]

deleted, repeat post

 

[YinnarTiger]

I've always thought that 12 wins pretty much guarantess finals football. 11 and a draw is a good shot for making the eight.

We once came 9th with 12 wins, it was 1998 I think.

 

[Azza]

Essendon
Sydney Upset
Melb
carlton
wc
ess
bris
freo
melb.

if not syd,port done it over there before.

Rank optimist,perhaps,but better than tanking.

Essendon - should win
Sydney - Upset
Melb - should win
carlton - close game
wc - should win
ess - should win
bris - Upset
freo - close game
melb. - should win

I reckon it's more like 7 wins, picking up half the close games and half the upsets. You could argue we could pick up more with other upsets, but then again we could lose some upsets too.

 

[Bill James]

We play 6 games against the bottom four teams coming home, plus a game against Carlton.

I think we are a certainty for 9th by half a game.

 

[jb03]

Unfortunately, a final 5 doesn't feed the cash cow.

True as I guess the AFL still get there corporate fill but the first week of finals is usually poorly attended. Fewer finals may enhance the value and prestige of the earlier finals rounds.

 

[johnson2richo2003]

With 2 new franchises coming in.The desire of the AFL for these 2 sides to be up and running. I can see a roving type of finals system for the first 5yrs.Wherever the lowest of the 2 new teams finish is the cut off point for sides making the finals. :hihi :hihi :hihi :hihi