A.Sabres V Rockets

B.Tigers

C.Westies

D.NG

To my knowledge Truslove is only able to suit for 12 or so games, have heard nothing of Cioffi playing and Mann isnt what he used to be, dont get to far ahead of yourselves bearcats!

I think South as woodend spooners is a little harsh. I think they might be the surprise team this year.

Agree with #120213, West should be better but still not great.

I'd say:
a) North vs Forestville
b) Southern
c) Centrals
d) Matthews (if he plays the full year)

Ladder:
North
Forestville
Sturt
Norwood
Southern
Woodville
West
Eastern
South
Centrals

I can't see anyone stopping North winning except their rookie coach.

I agree, Dusty should be the one man show there. If they can't win with him they will never win!

Nash as in Mark Nash at west???

Um, no, he is going back home interstate for the whole off-season.

Kane Oakley is suiting up for the eagles, saw some of the forrestvile boys the other day who confirmed it.

I think some people have just been reading the required players lists and making their predictions based on that. Just because they are a required player doesn't mean they will suit up. Obviously Nash isn't playing ABL here and will be in Tassie, Cioffi is still in Europe and Maher would be highly unlikey to play even tho all are on their respective clubs lists. Barring injuries it will be a North vs Forestville GF

Chris Molitor League MVP??? Hahahaha!!!

I haven't laughed so hard since I was a little girl...

1. North v Norwood.
2. West.
3. Centrals.
4. David Cooper

Great to see some height back in the league with the likes of Truslove, Rychart,Oakley, Wheeler, Rees hambour all NBL bigs.

Does look like North will be the team to beat this year. Alot has been said about their new recruits, but they also will be deeper this year with Groves and Quigley coming off the bench along with youngsters like Rowe, L Burdon,Hastings off the bench, all a year older and improved.

I think at this stage Centrals and Eastern will be the cellar dwellers of the competition I have not heard of Centrals picking up anyone yet so can't see them being any better than last year. Eastern has no Madgen, Davis and Tribilcock, and Hill is rumored to be suffering injury setback which could see him out till mid season...if so its season over for the Mavs, with really only Bungey, Cambell, and Williams left from last year.

West should be the big movers of the competition with just Truslove alone. Mann adds experience. Just with these two I would suggest that they would be top 4, and if one of Cioffi or Nash rolls up then top 2 and a GF appearence should be on the cards.

Forestville and Norwood, injury free should both be a top 3 or 4 teams. Sutton and Sullivan possible the best back court in the comp, and now with Oakley, and throw in Hoban, Mac-T and Haydon, there is alot of rebounding potential there...but not alot of scoring. Fildes and Arnold will need to cover for the loss of scoring due to Dix retirement, and they still have lost Cambell and Gange from their bench so youngster Harvey will need to have an immediate impact if they are to go back to back.

Norwood has added Thompson but lost Eli. i believe this is their only change from last year. This obviosly makes them bigger, but they have a lack of options in the guard position. They will be around the mark again this year Norwood, but will need Thompson and Mathews to have career best years if they are to go one better.

That leaves Sturt, Woodville, South and Southern to fight it out for the last finals position with North, West, Forestville and Norwood I believe finals bound, and Centrals and eastern already out of it.

Woodville have slipped under everybodys radar in the off season. I have not heard of any more signings or changes from last year except for their coach. Last year they fell agonisingly short of a finals berth, if they go in with the same team I think that is what will happen again. However, not too many seasons go by where Woodville don't have an import, so I would assume they could possibly have a big american coming out, and if so, expect them to take the last finals spot and challenge for the title.

Sturt is a bit harder to predict because no one, probably not even they know who will be playing for them. If NG and Forman play they may make the finals, but with no Sheppard, and possibly no Forman or no Ng and I have not heard anything about Smylie, then they will fall short. If all there big three play, then they will be title contenders, but I dont think that will be the case.

Southern will be better than last year with Gerlach, Clark both fully recovered from injury, and Lalic another year older. Franchecena gives them more depth and a genuine 3 man, while Braithewaite, Hodges can provide good scoring options. They are an utside chance of the fifth finals spot, and will certaily help decide the make up of the finals but I think they will fall short..still a year or two, and probably an extra big away from being title contenders.

South will again be tough at home. if wheeler plays, and with Pilkington back throw in Agel, they have the biggest front court in the league...look forward to the battles between them and Norwoods Coopes, thompson and Krause. However, is Scanlon playing? No Scanlon means no South. If Scanlon plays, they will be a shot at the finals if Wheeler stays fit, but the chances of Wheeler playing a whole season without injury is unlikely and therefore so are their chances of making the finals. They loke Southern will certainly beat some good teams and help shape the finals order, but unless everything falls their way, they will be having their 8th straight year without a finals game.

So I guess my prediction at this stage is North, Norwood, Forestville, West and Woodville to play finals this year, with Southern, South and Sturt ever so close and Eastern and Centrals bringing up the rear.

Whatever happens this will be one of the best, most talented, biggest, closest competition this state has seen for some years and I truly believe the winner will create waves at the nationals after the eagles surprised the eastern states last year...can't wait til the action starts!

nice try, south is not lost without Scanlon. if you believe this there is something wrong. they have plenty of strong players. yeah Agel, pilkington and wheeler make a tall team but what about strength from the likes of williams, fuller and smith. they are a different team to that of last season. from the stats of div 2, Tom Mckenzie seems to have had 2 brilliant games. maybe this is the year for their junior players to step up in the absence of scanlon. just wait and see...

Zorich & Burdon

vs

Sullivan & Sutton.

Now thats a matchup!

Dan Thompson will be no help to Norwood, every season he has played he has upset the chemistry of the team and only played for himslef. If you have watched him and Krauser play together it's like all they are trying to do it out score eachother and don't care about anything else. Add Arnold back a few seasons ago and these guys had masses of talent but could'nt convert it to teamwork.

Last year norwood had it's best season for a while and finished strong, I wouldn't be upsetting the group if I was Sapwell. Guess we will have to just wait and see..

Firstly very excited about this years season, should be the best in a couple of years IMO.

North and West to play off in the GF.
North- with Dusty you would think they would be almost unstoppable. Zorich, Kerstern and Burdon inthe backcourt is the best in the league and Hambour and dusty will be very tough inside.
West- Addition of Mann and possibly truslove for about 12 games will largely boost this team. They have great potential in their young guards and Phillips can go off at any time, putting them right on the mark.
Forestville- Oakley should be able to fill at least half off Dix's output and with Sutton having a year of NBL under his belt it could be a flip of the coin between these guys to play in the GF.
Norwood- Basically the same as last year the only difference is Todd Matthews should play the full season making them a dark horse for the title as they showed last year.
Southern- Might scrape into the last finals place with a new coach. If they both stay healthy, Gerlach(knee tendinitis)& Braithwaite(broken foot) will probably be the highest scoring backcourt the league has seen for a while, but consistency is always the issue here.
Woodville- Always play gutsy and have a never say die attitude, but with no real new signings and a different brand of coach will just miss out.
Sturt- who knows could be top three with Ng, Forman, smylie or struggle with only role players left. Hard to tell
South- will improve and could be a chance to sneak in with a huge frontcourt. Injuries will make or break this team along with how they get their heads before games.
Eastern and centrals will fight it out for the spoon. Eastern probably getting the better mainly due to better coaching as Richard knows how to win and has done it before, sadly dont think he has the horses this year.

Any thoughts?

Does anyone think Younie will do anything for Eastern?

Alan Ogg - hold me to this. Centrals to finish a distant bottom.

Same as Southern. bottom 3

The word is Nathan Hawkes is going to suit up with North

lockstock - who do you see as cancers on that team? My guess is Younie and Watson. Who's the third?

how about you add a fourth, Nic Campbell.

Thanks for that Issac...any news on Smylie and Ng?

Younie did his achillies at training last week, so he will be out for the season

He was sitting on the bench at Souths reserves game last night. Panther, got any information about him. Where he has played? etc

His name is Ken Carter and will be suiting up for south.

If his name is Ken Carter I'd have thought he would be coaching!

That depends Ricey,

Are you moving to another club?