This time last year I wasn't thinking doom and gloom like most on this board. I did think a lot of things needed to go right in terms of development for us to become a good midfield and I think it's fair to say that a lot of things did go right. Sloane played at his usual level (albeit couldn't handle a tag), Brad stayed injury free and got some consistency into his footy. Matt took his game to another level and won the B&F. Atkins improved a bit. Douglas had one of the best most consistent years of his career. Charlie provided glimpses through the midfield albeit very inconsistent and we uncovered an absolute beauty for us in Greenwood. Bottom line a lot of things did go right.
Going into next season, I think our midfield should be better and possibly turn into our strength as the season goes on. Our backline should still be very good but we will miss Smith's rebound and run and carry next year. He does it at an elite level and is up there in terms of meters gained across the competition. I do think that Lever is easier replaced than Smith. Players seem to rise up a notch when they know that spot is there up for grabs. They generally put in a massive preseason and someone does come in and cover the loss in a different way than the player they are replacing.
Our forward line should still be good BUT I am worried that we are losing a lot of "intangibles" with Cameron's departure to Brisbane. The defensive pressure drops off (and not just the tackles but Charlie's ability to worry teams with his pace, rushing them into ineffective disposal). We also become slower and lose more of the X factor, something we don't have a lot off.
But a bit like with the backline spots, I think some players will realise there is a spot available and will put in huge pre-seasons to get than spot and perform their role, albeit a bit differently to what Charlie did. I think Knight will spend a lot of time there now that Gibson can tag. McGovern will take his game to another level injuries permitting.
Overall, I think as a list, we are better placed now than we were 12 months ago due to a great deal of player development that took place in 2017. Even players that didn't play much or at all this year (e.g. Gallucci, Doedee, Poholke etc) are better players now than they were 12 months ago. Their SANFL form at the end of the season was significantly better than it was at the start of the year. There is clear improvement there.
I think while we lost some key players from our best 22, we are in a position where we are still a young team with a lot of improvement from those players in our best 22 plus the youngsters in SANFL that are eying off those vacant spots in the side and readying themselves for a big pre-season. I think we will be top 4 again next year.
