By Lachlan Geleit
Western Bulldogs great Brad Johnson has named his most disappointing team of 2024. Collingwood.
Johnson made the call after the Pies missed out on playing finals due to percentage, just one year on from lifting the 2023 cup aloft.
While Johnson conceded that Collingwood had injuries throughout the year which was a blow to their 12-2-9 win-loss record, he thinks that their drop from first to ninth was the most disappointing this year based on expectations.
“The most disappointing for me has been the Pies not making finals off the back of what we witnessed last year,” Johnson said on SEN Sportsday.
“There are reasons for that and some injuries to players, of course, but ultimately the premiership team to not play finals was most disappointing for me.”
Johnson also ranked the other non-finalists in terms of who he was most disappointed with, and 10th-placed Fremantle were just behind Collingwood after they dropped their last four games to miss out on finals.
Another team that had a poor second half of the year in Gold Coast was his third most disappointing side after they looked headed for finals before finishing 13th.
“Fremantle sits second on this list,” Johnson said.
“I did expect them to become a significant challenger in the competition this year and they lost their last four.
“Next is the Gold Coast Suns, that’s right (they had a soft draw and not too many injuries).
“Then I’ve got the Demons and the Bombers who are pretty much on the same line.
“They’re ahead of Adelaide, and after that was St Kilda who I didn’t have playing finals this year.
“With West Coast, North Melbourne and Richmond there was no expectation that those sides would really challenge”
1 – Collingwood
2 – Fremantle
3 - Gold Coast
4 - Melbourne
5 - Essendon
6 - Adelaide
7 - St Kilda
Equal - West Coast, North Melbourne, Richmond
Crafted by Project Diamond