GEELONG to be the bolter from outside last year's top eight. Adelaide to slump to 12th. Another season of missed opportunities for the Magpies.

Yep, you get some calls right, and you get some wrong.

We've reviewed our reporters' pre-season crystal ball predictions with the sparkling clarity of 20:20 hindsight, and it makes for interesting - and sometimes brutal - reading.

Ryan Crowley for recruit of the year. Really, Nat Edwards?

So, who better to pen a few words about the March madness of our 'experts' than their beloved colleagues?

Here are our reporters' pre-season predictions, followed by their colleagues' present-day critiques:

Ashley Browne

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Western Bulldogs

Wooden spoon: Carlton

Moving up: Greater Western Sydney

Set to fall: Hawthorn

Brownlow Medal: Todd Goldstein

Coleman Medal: Jack Riewoldt

NAB AFL Rising Star: Daniel Howe

Recruit of the year: Adam Treloar

Surprise All Australian: Cameron Guthrie

Headline you'll see: Mazel Tov! Goldstein wins Brownlow

Headline you won't see: AFL got it right: McGuire

Coach under the pump: Chris Scott

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Melbourne (after Jesse Hogan is traded to Fremantle)

Ladder

West Coast

Western Bulldogs

Hawthorn

Fremantle

Richmond

Collingwood

Geelong

Greater Western Sydney

—

Sydney Swans

Port Adelaide

North Melbourne

Adelaide

Melbourne

Gold Coast

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Essendon

Carlton

Yet again, I find myself marvelling at the visionary intellect of my learned friend, whose mention of the now-besieged Eddie McGuire could not have been more timely or prophetic. The selections of Treloar and Guthrie might also prove inspired. However, like most visionaries, Ash suffers certain eccentricities. Take his beloved Hawthorn for example. His prediction that the Hawks' dynasty would end this season showed admirable impartiality but – at this juncture at least – surprisingly little foresight. Perhaps it was a red herring to avoid allegations of bias (although his Rising Star candidate was Hawk Daniel Howe). But there's no escaping another 'Browney' bias – his Goldstein-for-Brownlow forecast had an ulterior motive: it was a way for him to celebrate their shared Jewish heritage. Oy! – Ben Collins

Nick Bowen

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Sydney Swans

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Collingwood

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Luke Parker

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Jacob Weitering

Recruit of the year: Adam Treloar

Surprise All Australian: Harley Bennell

Headline you'll see: Good Friday footy gets go-ahead for 2017

Headline you won't see: Swans rapt to be back at ANZ for finals

Coach under the pump: Damien Hardwick

How many games will Carlton win? Four

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

West Coast

Sydney Swans

Hawthorn

North Melbourne

Fremantle

Collingwood

Richmond

Port Adelaide

—

Western Bulldogs

Geelong

Greater Western Sydney

Adelaide

Melbourne

Gold Coast

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon

Astute as he is in the area of player movement, even Nick Bowen couldn't predict Essendon re-signing Cale Hooker before the middle of the season, as the key defender rejected Fremantle's offer in the process. Bowen's assessment of individual awards is on track with West Coast's Josh Kennedy trailing the Coleman Medal by one, Carlton's Jacob Weitering favourite to win the NAB AFL Rising Star Award and Collingwood's Adam Treloar in any discussion regarding recruit of the year. Luke Parker will look good early in the Brownlow count but might have dropped off the pace now while Harley Bennell would be more than a surprise All Australian given he has not played a game in 2016. Bowen's faith in the Magpies was misplaced, obviously rating their work at the trade table higher than Geelong's, which he left out of the eight. He got it right with Richmond coach Damien Hardwick but the Tigers' man has weathered the storm while Bowen's obsession with Easter Eggs, North Melbourne and public holidays led to him predicting Good Friday football in 2017 as a certainty. He might be right on that point eventually but it would take much more than a resurrection for his final eight to be correct when round 23 arrives with half of his predictions already in diabolical trouble on that front. - Peter Ryan

There's plenty of support for Jacob Weitering as this year's Rising Star winner. Picture: AFL Media

Ben Collins

Premier: Hawthorn

Runners-up: West Coast

Wooden spoon: Carlton

Moving up: Greater Western Sydney and Collingwood

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Scott Pendlebury

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Jacob Weitering

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Steve Johnson

Headline you'll see: Four-thorn

Headline you won't see: Cats coach admits Stevie J blunder

Coach under the pump: Brad Scott

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

Hawthorn

West Coast

Sydney Swans

Fremantle

Richmond

North Melbourne

Greater Western Sydney

Collingwood

—

Western Bulldogs

Geelong

Port Adelaide

Adelaide

Gold Coast

Melbourne

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Essendon

Carlton

Gee Collo, I know you played your footy for the Melton Bloods but that doesn't excuse you for the fact that you had Geelong missing the eight. Or the Western Bulldogs or Adelaide, for that matter. Kudos for tipping Greater Western Sydney to rise up the ladder, but there's no doubt you were looking at the world with a black and white bias when selecting the Magpies to play finals. Hawthorn is still a chance to win its fourth flag in a row and, you were right, Steve Johnson has made quite the impact at the Giants. But the Cats are just as happy with the development of Lincoln McCarthy and Daniel Menzel, not to mention the recruitment of Patrick Dangerfield, as they pursue this year's flag. - Ben Guthrie

Adam Curley

Premier: Western Bulldogs

Runner-up: Hawthorn

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Greater Western Sydney

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Robbie Gray

Coleman Medal: Jake Stringer

NAB AFL Rising Star: Callum Mills

Recruit of the year: Steve Johnson

Surprise All Australian: Jason Johannisen

Headline you'll see: 'The Package' helps end Dogs' drought

Headline you won't see: Dockers full strength for round 23

Coach under the pump: Rodney Eade

How many games will Carlton win? Four

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

Hawthorn

Western Bulldogs

Fremantle

West Coast

Greater Western Sydney

Geelong

Sydney Swans

Port Adelaide

—

Richmond

North Melbourne

Gold Coast

Adelaide

Collingwood

St Kilda

Melbourne

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon

Curls' allegiance to his beloved Bulldogs is clear for all to see but overall he has done well so far. His prediction of a Bulldogs' Grand Final win over Hawthorn remains an outside chance. He has six of the top eight at half-way, with only Fremantle and Port Adelaide failing him to this point. He had Greater Western Sydney moving up but that is offset by his prediction that Adelaide would slide. Stevie J could be the second-best recruit of the year behind Patrick Dangerfield. Callum Mills is a chance for the Rising Star but he needs a nomination first. Gray to win the Brownlow and Johannisen to be the surprise All Australian weren't bad calls but injury rather than form has ruined both predictions. Rodney Eade isn't under anywhere near as much pressure as Justin Leppitsch. He undersold Carlton, but he wasn't the only one, and he definitely missed with Hooker going to Fremantle. - Alex Malcolm

Ryan Davidson

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Fremantle

Wooden spoon: Carlton

Moving up: Port Adelaide

Set to fall: Sydney Swans

Brownlow Medal: Marcus Bontempelli

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Callum Mills

Recruit of the year: Jack Redden

Surprise All Australian: Jack Redden

Headline you'll see: Journo despair as supplements saga finally concludes

Headline you won't see: Tigers finally end finals hoodoo

Coach under the pump: Damien Hardwick

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

Fremantle

West Coast

Hawthorn

Western Bulldogs

Geelong

North Melbourne

Greater Western Sydney

Richmond

—

Port Adelaide

Adelaide

Sydney Swans

Collingwood

Gold Coast

Melbourne

St Kilda

Essendon

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Let's be frank, Ryan's had one or two shockers here. He's gone a bit left-field tipping Jack Redden to be recruit of the year and let's just say that one hasn't quite paid off just yet, for him or the Eagles. Unfortunately, the safe option of predicting another all-WA quinella on top of the ladder hasn't worked out either, or jumping on the Sydney Swans to tumble out of the eight (he wasn't the only one there, though). But if we're going to give him a whack, we'd better give credit where it's due, because his long shot Marcus Bontempelli tip for the Brownlow could make him look like Nostradamus. - Travis King

Josh Kennedy is at short odds to repeat his 2015 Coleman Medal. Picture: AFL Media



Nat Edwards

Premier: Hawthorn

Runner-up: West Coast

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Geelong

Set to fall: Western Bulldogs

Brownlow Medal: Todd Goldstein

Coleman Medal: Lance Franklin

NAB AFL Rising Star: Christian Petracca

Recruit of the year: Ryan Crowley

Surprise All Australian: Cam Guthrie

Headline you'll see: Hogan signs mega-deal with Dees

Headline you won't see: Dangerfield worst recruit of the decade

Coach under the pump: Damien Hardwick

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Essendon

Ladder

West Coast

Sydney Swans

Hawthorn

Fremantle

North Melbourne

Geelong

Port Adelaide

Richmond

—

Western Bulldogs

GWS

Collingwood

Adelaide

St Kilda

Melbourne

Gold Coast

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon

Apparently picking recruit of the year wasn't rocket science in 2016. Nat Edwards didn't have too many howlers in her crystal ball, but Ryan Crowley over Patrick Dangerfield? Please, Nat! Credit where it's due, Nat was one of only four reporters to pick Lance Franklin for the Coleman Medal, Christian Petracca is looking a savvier tip for the NAB AFL Rising Star by the week, and the Cats agree with her assessment of Cam Guthrie as an All Australian chance. But tipping the Western Bulldogs to not only fall but also miss the eight entirely? Injuries to three-quarters of the backline were not even enough to make that dodgy prediction come true. - Nathan Schmook

Ben Guthrie

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Geelong

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Geelong

Set to fall: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Scott Pendlebury

Coleman Medal: Taylor Walker

NAB AFL Rising Star: Jacob Hopper

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Mitch Duncan

Headline you'll see: Concussion hit on the head

Headline you won't see: Northern academies a Giant success: McGuire

Coach under the pump: Damien Hardwick

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle



Ladder

West Coast

Sydney Swans

Geelong

Richmond

Fremantle

Hawthorn

Port Adelaide

Collingwood

—

Western Bulldogs

Greater Western Sydney

North Melbourne

Gold Coast

Adelaide

Melbourne

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon



Geelong's place near the top of the ladder was tipped by Guthrie, who correctly expected the Cats to rise up on the back of the recruit of the year Patrick Dangerfield. The Cats are looking good for their tilt at the flag and Dangerfield couldn't have been any better in his debut season at the club. Guthrie gets points for tipping concussion and Greater Western Sydney's academy as being hot topics, but loses some credit for having the Western Bulldogs outside his top-eight when they are top-four contenders. And although Jacob Hopper probably won't take out the NAB AFL Rising Star award at the end of the year, he has shown enough to suggest he will be a long-term player for he Giants. - Callum Twomey

The Swans welcome back Lance Franklin with open arms this season. Picture: AFL Media

Travis King

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Geelong

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Geelong

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Callum Mills

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Robbie Tarrant

Headline you'll see: Kennedy on target to kick the ton

Headline you won't see: Pies and Swans kiss and make-up

Coach under the pump: Ross Lyon

How many games will Carlton win? Four

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

West Coast

Hawthorn

Geelong

Fremantle

Collingwood

Western Bulldogs

North Melbourne

Port Adelaide

—

Richmond

Greater Western Sydney

Sydney Swans

Adelaide

Melbourne

Gold Coast

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon

Travis went the safe and soft option of jumping on the Geelong/Dangerfield bandwagon, which was somewhat disappointing, but the Robbie Tarrant call looks to be a stroke of genius. There's a definite theme running through these picks and you can just see the proud West Aussie sitting at the laptop in his Peter Sumich jumper, although the Josh Kennedy predictions aren't far off the mark. His top eight looks shonky at best, with both NSW teams in the hunt for the flag and the Pies battling, so this one definitely needs some explaining. - Adam Curley

Alex Malcolm

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Hawthorn

Wooden spoon: Carlton

Moving up: Collingwood

Set to fall: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Nat Fyfe

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Josh Schache

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Lachie Neale

Headline you'll see: Bucks inks new deal

Headline you won't see: Hogan re-commits to Demons

Coach under the pump: Brad Scott

How many games will Carlton win? Two

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Essendon

Ladder

West Coast

Richmond

Sydney Swans

Hawthorn

Fremantle

Port Adelaide

Western Bulldogs

Collingwood

—

Adelaide

North Melbourne

Geelong

Greater Western Sydney

Gold Coast

Melbourne

St Kilda

Essendon

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

No issues here with Alex's premiership tip – I went the same way. And now that they're back in the top four, who would bet against yet another Grand Final appearance by the Hawks? Given his imperious form last year, Nat Fyfe seemed a good bet for the Brownlow before the injuries struck and Josh Kennedy is right in the mix for the Coleman. Alex is our West Australian colleague and has his ears to the ground in Perth, so we'll wait to see whether his Jesse Hogan prediction rings true. Is he guessing or does he have mail? And he got Carlton's win tally wrong, but guess what? All of us did. - Ashley Browne

Dinny Navaratnam

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Hawthorn

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Port Adelaide

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Gary Ablett

Coleman Medal: Lance Franklin

NAB AFL Rising Star: Darcy Parish

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Marley Williams

Headline you'll see: Round 23 Blues and Dons clash to decide No.1 pick

Headline you won't see: O'Meara re-signs at the Suns

Coach under the pump: Chris Scott

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

West Coast

Hawthorn

Port Adelaide

Fremantle

Richmond

Sydney Swans

North Melbourne

Western Bulldogs

—

Collingwood

Greater Western Sydney

Geelong

Adelaide

Melbourne

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Gold Coast

Carlton

Essendon

Dinny is the new kid on the block in our newsroom, and you can tell when you zero in on some of his predictions. West Coast for premier seems an unwise move and while you can't rule the Hawks out of another grand final appearance it's no certainty. Adelaide hasn't fallen, and Port Adelaide is hardly moving up. Paddy is no doubt the recruit of the year, but Dinny should have had him in the Brownlow category too. Chris Scott is definitely not under the pump and the Blues have already doubled Dinny's win prediction. His hopes for further correct tips really rest on Jaeger O'Meara leaving the Suns and Lance Franklin winning the Coleman. For his first Crystal Ball attempt this is on track for a pass, but the only way is up for AFL.com.au's rising star. - Matt Thompson

Chad Wingard and the Power remain a hard team to predict. Picture: AFL Media



Peter Ryan

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Fremantle

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Collingwood

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield

Coleman Medal: Jack Riewoldt

NAB AFL Rising Star: Darcy Moore

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Jack Viney

Headline you'll see: Is Geelong the real deal?

Headline you won't see: Fairytale streak continues for Bombers

Coach under the pump: Justin Leppitsch

How many games will Carlton win? Two

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle

Ladder

West Coast

Hawthorn

Geelong

Fremantle

Western Bulldogs

Sydney Swans

Collingwood

North Melbourne

—

Greater Western Sydney

Port Adelaide

Richmond

Melbourne

Gold Coast

Adelaide

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon

As one of AFL Media's most respected operators, you would have expected a better forecast than what senior journalist Peter Ryan envisioned. 'The Doyen' – as he's affectionately known – let his black and white leanings lead him astray by proclaiming the Magpies would rise while Darcy Moore would be named the Rising Star. The player movement expert also predicted Bomber Cale Hooker would head home to play for 2016 Grand Finalist, Fremantle. However, he did foresee the pressure on Justin Leppitsch, and Paddy Dangerfield's imposing form at the Cats. - Ryan Davidson

Nathan Schmook

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Hawthorn

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Greater Western Sydney

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Dustin Martin

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Jacob Weitering

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Devon Smith

Headline you'll see: Fourth time lucky for Tigers

Headline you won't see: Winners all round in new CBA

Coach under the pump: Ross Lyon

How many games will Carlton win? Two

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Essendon

Ladder

West Coast

Richmond

Hawthorn

Geelong

Western Bulldogs

Fremantle

Port Adelaide

Sydney Swans

—

Greater Western Sydney

North Melbourne

Collingwood

Adelaide

St Kilda

Gold Coast

Melbourne

Brisbane Lions

Carlton

Essendon

Richmond. Richmond. Richmond. Not only have the Tigers let down their fans, but they've let down AFL.com.au's very own Nathan Schmook. The West Australian had the Tigers finishing second on the ladder, but at 5-7 they are a long way off. In fact, Schmook had even predicted the Tigers would finally win a final this season. Clearly he needs to recalibrate his crystal ball because they're going to struggle to even make finals. But he's not the only victim of the Tiger trap, so we can't judge him too harshly. At least he was on the money with Patrick Dangerfield being the recruit of the year, although that's hardly rocket science. - Nat Edwards

Matt Thompson

Premier: North Melbourne

Runner-up: Hawthorn

Wooden spoon: Essendon

Moving up: Collingwood

Set to fall: Fremantle

Brownlow Medal: Gary Ablett

Coleman Medal: Lance Franklin

NAB AFL Rising Star: Christian Petracca

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Elliot Yeo

Headline you'll see: Gold Coast curse continues

Headline you won't see: Pies sack Buckley

Coach under the pump: Damien Hardwick

How many games will Carlton win? Four

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Fremantle



Ladder

North Melbourne

Hawthorn

West Coast

Collingwood

Sydney

Geelong

Port Adelaide

Richmond

—

Fremantle

Greater Western Sydney

Western Bulldogs

Melbourne

Adelaide

Gold Coast

St Kilda

Brisbane

Carlton

Essendon

He's not only a good news hound, but Matty is also pretty sharp when looking into the crystal ball. He got a few wrong, like Collingwood moving up (what was he thinking?) and Cale Hooker heading off to Freo, but by and large it's so far so good. Not many predicted North Melbourne to win the premiership, and while they're a long way off, there's enough evidence to show it's a pretty good selection. Patrick Dangerfield as recruit of the year, Lance Franklin for the Coleman and Essendon to finish last were no surprise gets, but he must be applauded for predicting Fremantle's tumble out of the top eight. Matty has a well-known love of the Gold Coast, but Rodney Eade might not reciprocate it after his correct prediction the Suns' injury curse would continue. - Michael Whiting

Ryan Crowley has 'topped up' the Dons but they're still wooden spoon favourites. Picture: AFL Media



Callum Twomey

Premier: West Coast

Runner-up: Hawthorn

Wooden spoon: Carlton

Moving up: Collingwood

Set to fall: Adelaide

Brownlow Medal: Patrick Dangerfield

Coleman Medal: Lance Franklin

NAB AFL Rising Star: Darcy Parish

Recruit of the year: Adam Treloar

Surprise All Australian: Mark Baguley

Headline you'll see: Strike looms as players fight for more money

Headline you won't see: Paul Roos reneges on handover coaching deal with Simon Goodwin

Coach under the pump: Ken Hinkley

How many games will Carlton win? Three

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Essendon

Ladder

West Coast

Hawthorn

Sydney Swans

Geelong

Fremantle

Western Bulldogs

North Melbourne

Richmond

—

Collingwood

Port Adelaide

Greater Western Sydney

Adelaide

Melbourne

Gold Coast

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Essendon

Carlton

Predictions are always difficult, so when an obvious one pops up, the opportunity must be taken. Which makes it especially befuddling that Cal tipped Adam Treloar as recruit of the year. How could he justify thinking Patrick Dangerfield would win the Brownlow Medal, but not be the best recruit in the competition? Other than that, there were few egregious errors. Cal had Fremantle at fifth but almost no one predicted the Dockers would fall so far. GWS at 11th wasn't a great forecast from the draft guru, and neither was Adelaide in 12th, but one can be excused for thinking early days that the Danger-less Crows would slide. - Dinny Navaratnam

Michael Whiting

Premier: Hawthorn

Runner-up: Sydney Swans

Wooden spoon: Carlton

Moving up: Port Adelaide

Set to fall: North Melbourne

Brownlow Medal: Nat Fyfe

Coleman Medal: Josh Kennedy (West Coast)

NAB AFL Rising Star: Darcy Parish

Recruit of the year: Patrick Dangerfield

Surprise All Australian: Stefan Martin

Headline you'll see: Giants make first trip to the finals

Headline you won't see: Bombers defy the odds and storm towards September

Coach under the pump: Damien Hardwick

How many games will Carlton win? Four

Where will Cale Hooker play in 2017? Hawthorn



Ladder

Hawthorn

West Coast

Sydney Swans

Port Adelaide

Richmond

Geelong

Fremantle

Greater Western Sydney

—

North Melbourne

Collingwood

Gold Coast

Adelaide

Western Bulldogs

Melbourne

St Kilda

Brisbane Lions

Essendon

Carlton

'Fish' obviously loves a favourite – the reigning premier for the flag, the reigning Brownlow and Coleman medallists to go back-to-back and some bloke called Dangerfield to be recruit of the year. The injured Nat Fyfe aside, he could ultimately be right on all fronts. Who says playing it safer than an accountant doesn't pay? Clairvoyants in the Sunshine State needn't start fearing for their jobs, however. Fish's psychic radar was well off when he tipped North Melbourne to slide outside the top eight and Port Adelaide to soar into the top four, while three of his top eight (Port, Richmond and Fremantle) look set for football-free Septembers. Stefan Martin is also out of All Australian calculations after Steven May knocked him out – and his season off track – in round four, while Cale Hooker won't be in the brown and gold next year either. Fish redeemed himself by predicting a strong year for the Swans when others were far more pessimistic, and the Giants will almost certainly make their predicted maiden finals appearance. Richmond coach Damien Hardwick is under the pump too, but not from the relative comfort of fifth spot on the ladder as Fish predicted. He, no doubt, envisaged Hardwick entering another September under the suffocating pressure of leading the Tigers to their first finals win since 2001. 'Dimma' and Fish are both ruing that false prophesy. - Nick Bowen