AFL / Tony Keen / 17 March 2010 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

In the third of a four part series, Tony Keen rates your club's 2010 AFL Premiership Season chances.

NORTH MELBOURNE

North Melbourne has a good batch of youngsters coming through, with the likes of Jack Ziebell, Liam Anthony, Gavin Urquhuart, Ryan Bastinac and Ben Cunnington set to form the nucleus of the club's midfield for the next decade. Scott Thompson, Nathan Grima, Lachlan Hansen and Sam Wright are promising prospects down back, while Ben Warren is a likely type up forward.

The Kangaroos were the least productive side in the AFL last year, but, if the pre-season is anything to go by, they will be a lot more attacking under new coach Brad Scott in 2010.

PREDICTION: The Roos are heading in the right direction, but won't make the finals this year given they have such a young, developing side bound to experience a number of ups and downs throughout the course of the home-and-away season.

MELBOURNE

Melbourne's pre-season has been far from ideal, losing all four of their matches and several players to injury, including three of their brightest young stars in Liam Jurrah (knee), Colin Sylvia (broken jaw) and Cale Morton (knee). The loss of Jurrah for four months significantly weakens an attack that was the second-worst in the AFL last season.

With 2008 number one draft pick Jack Watts still a few years away from establishing himself as a genuine key forward, a lot rests on the shoulders of Brad Miller and Matthew Bate. While the forward line lacks potency, there is plenty to like about the midfield, with the hard work of Nathan Jones, Brent Moloney and co. to be complemented by the class of Aaron Davey, and youngsters Jack Grimes, Tom Scully and Jack Trengrove. Throw in Sylvia and Morton, expected to be back in action in rounds four and six respectively, and you have an on-ball division that will be something special in the future. The club's ruck brigade is solid, but not spectacular, while the backline is developing. With James Frawley and Colin Garland set to take the next step in their careers, Melbourne's defence, ranked 15th in the competition in 2009, will only get better. The addition of former Lion Joel MacDonald will also help.

The Demons' list has plenty of promise, but it is still the second youngest in the league. Given this, inconsistent performances will be common throughout this season.

PREDICTION: The Dees will improve enough this year to avoid a third consecutive wooden spoon but will still finish in a lowly 15th spot.

PORT ADELAIDE

Port Adelaide were accused of being 'downhill skiers' in 2009, capable of blowing sides away with an exciting brand of football, yet going missing when the heat was applied.

The Power showed in the NAB Cup that their will be a greater emphasis on defensive pressure in 2010. Mark Williams' men were ranked 14th in the AFL for tackles last season, but in the first two rounds of the pre-season competition, laid more tackles than their opponents,Adelaide and West Coast. In the narrow loss to the Western Bulldogs in the semis of the NAB Cup, they lost the tackle count, but still managed to apply 70 tackles - a feat they reached just three times during the last year.

While Port has shown a harder edge, there is a massive difference between playing a disciplined brand of football during the pre-season and maintaining it throughout the course of the home-and-away season. I query whether they can play with the same level of intensity week-in-week-out. There is also a major question mark over their ruck division, with Dean Brogan the only experienced ruckman on the club's senior list. Without Brogan, the Power's ruck brigade was soundly beaten by the Eagles in the pre-season, with the latter racking up a 22-0 centre hit-out dominance, extended to 41-10 around the ground. While the Power won the clearances 41-27, West Coast was missing a host of midfielders, including their two best clearance players in Daniel Kerr and Matt Priddis.

Come the season proper, Port's midfield will find it a lot tougher to win enough of the football to give their forwards ample opportunities to kick a winning score each week.

PREDICTION: Expect the Power's deficiency in the ruck to play a key role in them just missing out on a final's berth.

RICHMOND

Richmond underwent a major cleanout during the off-season, saying goodbye to a staggering 14 players.

They now have the youngest list in the competition and will go about the process of re-building under new coach Damien Hardwick. The Tigers boast quality young midfielders in Brett Deledio, Trent Cotchin and Dustin Martin, who will be supported by former West Coast skipper and Brownlow medallist Ben Cousins, the much-improved Daniel Jackson and vice-captain Nathan Foley once he overcomes a troublesome ankle injury.

Unfortinately for the Tigers, while their midfield looks good, the same can't be said about the back or forward lines. They conceded the most points of any side in the AFL last season, managing to outscore just three sides. It's hard to see much improvement coming from their backline this year, while up forward Richmond will rely heavily on Mitch Morton and Jack Riewoldt who are both talented, but very inconsistent. The Tigers were ranked 16th for inside 50's last season and are one of the worst teams in the league when it comes to using the football.

PREDICTION: The wooden spoon will be theirs in 2010.