So you reckon you know your footy!!! Well, the Engine Room is about to put you to the ultimate test in 2002. A number of new initiatives will be introduced to make the Engine Room bigger and better in 2002 – one of those is a brand new competition called CLIMB THE LADDER. This competition will require entrants to select the order they believe AFL teams will finish on the ladder at the completion of the home and away season. Which clubs will have good seasons, which clubs will struggle and who are the middle-of-the-road teams? It’s a tough ask but if you can do it better than anyone else, there are fantastic prizes to be won. Read on for details.

During the Wizard Cup competition a CLIMB THE LADDER icon will be placed in the Engine Room and people wishing to enter the competition can simply click through to the entry form. After you have looked at the draw and weighed up recent form you can then place each AFL side in the position you think they will finish at the end of the 2002 home and away season.

SO HOW DOES IT WORK?

1. Entrants finalise their ladder and submit it to the CLIMB THE LADDER COMPETITION.
2. At the completion of each round during the season, each entry will be given a score. The aim of the competition is to score as few points as possible.
3. At the completion of each round, entrants will receive 0 points for each team that is in the correct position.
4. Entrants will be given penalty points for each side that is out of position. For example, if you have the Western Bulldogs in 12th position and they are in fact in third position you will be given nine penalty points – one point for each position you are out.
5. The position of every side will be taken into account when calculating scores.
6. At the halfway mark of the season, entrants will be able to recall their original entry and make TWO changes to their submitted ladder. They will then re-submit for their ladder for the remainder of the season.
7. At the completion of each round a leader board will be published in the Engine Room.
8. The entrant with the fewest points at the completion of the home and away season will be declared the winner.
9. Entrants will be asked to nominate the number of goals Matthew Lloyd will kick in the home and away season as a tie-breaker question. In the unlikely event of two or more entrants finishing on the same score, the person who is closest to predicting the number of goals Matthew kicks will be declared the winner.
10. Engine Room members can only enter the competition once.
11. Initial entries must be completed by 5pm on Friday, March 29, 2002.
12. The Essendon Football Club's decision shall be final and no correspondence entered into.