What time is it?

[Thryleon]

For me, there are two approaches one could take :

1. the approach you've taken, which I call the graduated scale approach, where you can look at the various criteria, lists, coaches etc., and tease out from this whether certain teams are ahead of others.

2. A simpler approach, where you essentially have 2 groups : 1. genuine premiership contenders, and 2. the rest.

I can see the merit in both, but to me, teams like Essendon are not really any closer to the next flag than we are. They are without doubt closer to playing finals than we are, but making up the numbers in the 8 is one thing - being a genuine flag chance is quite another. The leap required to go from 5-8 to 1-4 in the H/A is greater than going from, say 9-12 to 5-8. At least IMO.

And as an aside, I don't understand the consternation towards Richmond. They finished 3rd, missing top 2 by 2 points, with a higher % than the 2nd placed Geelong. They lost several games by single digit figures. A stray kick here or there and they would have finished 1st. They were absolutely in the mix, in the 2nd half of the season, and certainly in finals.

Probably because they aren't that good.

But, due to everyone else being a bit Ho hum, they could even go back to back.

Fwiw a couple of years back, cotchin was in Murphy Territory of being the leagues worst captain.

Things can and do change quickly.  A couple of injuries and the Tigers would fall apart rapidly.  Not convinced by them at all.

They aren't like hawthorn or Geelong when they were up.  These two sides oozed class and talent and when they played looked really good.