What time is it?

[PaulP]

I think that long term, we are much better placed than Essendon, but looking solely at 2018, they’re in a much better position than us for success this year. What the past couple of years has shown us is that there aren’t teams ‘making up the numbers’ in the finals anymore. Bulldogs weren’t favourite in any of their finals in 2016, but it was them holding up the Cup at the end of it. Richmond in my opinion were not the best team in 2017, in fact going into the finals I would have had 3 teams above them...but again, they had the last laugh. They’re not a team with great depth, they had a lot of ordinary foot soldiers in their Premiership team, but they were hungry and lucky with injuries. If a team like Essendon have the same luck, then certainly they’re in the mix. I mean I still think there are at least 5 or so teams that are more likely, but I can’t disscount them.

Hmm, I thought the point of this thread was to assess a team's proximity to a flag, not just success in 2018 ? Maybe I misread the premise.

At any rate, there have been teams outside the top echelon in the past that have won a flag, but they are few and far between, and are IMO, statistical aberrations rather than any indication of a new trend. I would be most surprised to see a repeat of the Dogs success any time soon. The concept of "making up the numbers" is still alive and well IMO.

Richmond had luck, as any flag team does, but as I say, they finished top 3, knocked over the Cats and GWS in the H/A, and timed their peak to perfection, knocking over the flag favorites in the GF in an 8 goal demolition.

Tough crowd around here.