At a glance: A few retirements have damaged their ceiling, making an inaugural finals appearance unlikely. The coach has also been guilty of some questionable lineup decisions over the first two seasons of the competition, and nearly half their peers have them pegged for the spoon in 2018.
Coaches prediction:
6th: 1 coach
8th: 2 coaches
9th: 1 coach
10th: 4 coaches
Projected best 22:
Based on UF’s projections, so, you know, don’t count on it
| Pos | Player | Proj. |
| B | Pearce Hanley GC – B,C | 78.2 |
| B | Steven May GC – B | 77.5 |
| B | Matthew Broadbent PA – B | 74.4 |
| B | Lachie Henderson GE – B | 71.4 |
| B | Trent McKenzie PA – B | 65.4 |
| B | Brad Sheppard WC – B | 63.3 |
| C | Sebastian Ross SK – C | 103.6 |
| C | Nat Fyfe FR – C | 100.2 |
| C | Brad Ebert PA – C | 99.6 |
| C | Shaun Higgins NM – C | 94 |
| C | Will Hoskin-Elliott CW – C | 86.8 |
| C | Ryan Bastinac BL – C | 79.8 |
| C | Richard Douglas AD – C | 79 |
| C | Jack Graham RI – C | 76.7 |
| R | Zac Smith GE – R | 82.1 |
| F | Michael Barlow GC – C,F | 92.8 |
| F | Robbie Gray PA – F | 86.9 |
| F | Daniel Wells CW – C,F | 83.2 |
| F | Sam Gray PA – F | 81.4 |
| F | Matthew Wright CA – F | 80.9 |
| F | Tom Hawkins GE – F | 79 |
| UTL | Jeremy Cameron GWS – F | 86.1 |
| 1822 |
The MVP: Nat Fyfe. The crown jewel in the Plan’s plan. Fyfe has looked slick in every pre-season outing to date, and Coach Ciancio will be hoping he can push the 110+ barrier. Last year human-piranha hybrid Brad Ebert led the club in Dangergawn votes, which is right up there as a “tell-tale sign you finished 9th”. Surely Fyfe will reassume that mantle.
One thing is for sure. Such is Fyfe’s coach McClaren will be watching from a distance…
The Breakout Candidate: Will Hoskin-Elliot. The midfielder arrives in an off-season trade from the rebranded Love Sparkles. An initial breakout in season 2017 pushed his average to the mid-80s, but his new club will be hoping for a second successive bounce. The lanky Hoskin-Elliot may play the role of a taller Tom Lynch (the ginger variety), so dual position status may be on the cards. Coach Ciancio will be hoping so, as the Bailout forward line looks a little gray.
The Bottom Line: The Bailout Plan only won 2 games last year, and you’d be hard pressed to find more on offer heading into 2018. Might be worth getting a jump start on scouting the incoming draftees… though one coach thinks they’ll make the finals. In the place of last year’s premiers no less.
Crazier things have happened I guess.
(they haven’t)