Only one more game to go and the end of the year can't come quickly enough. Saturday's game was again demoralising, but there is genuine cause for optimism and here's why.

1. Our Younger players are progressing... Dunn has become a very handy run with player, also capable of playing tall down back if necessary. His, height, skills and new found aggression are a revelation and he is growing into a solid onballer capable of not only stopping an opponent, but roosting long goals. Newton has blossomed since his inclusion, still not racking up huge numbers, but has good hands, a long kick and his work rate is fantastic. Bell, Bate and Jones have had fantastic years and are the nucleus of the side going forward... all are tough, all put their head over the ball and all show genuine leadership. Throw in Bartram, Rivers, Frawley, Petterd, Moloney, Sylvia and McLean and there is no shortage of talent or courage in the new core of our list. If we have been lamenting over the last few years a genuine mental resilience and hardness at the ball, it has been addressed.

2. We will have a new coach in 2008. There's no reason our list that for the large proportion of 06 sat in the top four couldn't again with a rejuvenation and reinvention - a rebuilding of confidence. Like the Saints this year, and what the Hawks and Cats have shown, fortunes in footy can turn around very quickly if you have a solid process based on work ethic and attack at the footy. I don't understand why we abandoned our 2006 game plan, but hopefully many of our players have remembered what can be achieved by playing a hard physical brand of footy.

3. Yes we were smashed on the weekend, and OK the Dockers were missing potentially five starting players, but considering that we were missing five starting backmen: Rivers, Bell, Whelan, Wheatley, and Bartram - as well as Bate, Davey, Petterd, Moloney, McDonald, Frawley, Holland, and Yze. Even conservatively that's more than half your best 22. Many of these have already started their recovery for 08, meaning that with a change in fortune we will have more players fit and ready to start the preseason.

4. As well as a new coach, the off season gives us the chance to address problems with our list. Obviously some players will retire and some may be delisted, some may even be traded, maybe even personal favourites. It's a strange time of year with mixed emotions, but I look forward to adding some genuine talent to the list through the trade and drafting process.

5. The draw - I can live in hope that we'll get a better one.

Good post, reading that i really think we will do well next year with so many of our young guns getting better.

No dumping on the players......... where's the fun in that

1. Our Younger players are progressing... Dunn has become a very handy run with player, also capable of playing tall down back if necessary. His, height, skills and new found aggression are a revelation and he is growing into a solid onballer capable of not only stopping an opponent, but roosting long goals. Newton has blossomed since his inclusion, still not racking up huge numbers, but has good hands, a long kick and his work rate is fantastic. Bell, Bate and Jones have had fantastic years and are the nucleus of the side going forward... all are tough, all put their head over the ball and all show genuine leadership. Throw in Bartram, Rivers, Frawley, Petterd, Moloney and McLean and there is no shortage of talent or courage in the new core of our list. If we have been lamenting over the last few years a genuine mental resilience and hardness at the ball, it has been addressed.

I like this point, not just for the players we are missing and will get, but the duds on our roster that they will be replacing.

That's still kinda ragging on the club in a way, but if a certain red headed backmen is still playing in the red & blue next year, i may boycott games.

I should've added Garland to that list as well, many may not have seen it from his limited time in the seniors, but the whispers are the boy is quietly developing into a useful player.

3. Yes we were smashed on the weekend, and OK the Dockers were missing potentially five starting players, but considering that we were missing five starting backmen: Rivers, Bell, Whelan, Wheatley, and Bartram - as well as Bate, Davey, Petterd, Moloney, McDonald, Frawley, Holland, and Yze. Even conservatively that's more than half your best 22.

I don't see 12+ of our starting 22 there. I'd say around 8-9. Still huge though.

I like this point, not just for the players we are missing and will get, but the duds on our roster that they will be replacing.

Exactly.

Asuming we end up losing, for example, Ward and Brown.

Players who would take their position running or sweeping across half-back who are either coming back in to the side, entering their second /third year, or both, are Bartram, Petterd, Whelan, Wheatley, and even Yze. Throw in Frawley, CJ and Buckley just to flesh it out.

I do applaud the service these guys have given the club, so it's a little awkward to be also thinking 'they aren't needed'.

Surely Ferguson and Neville are gone.

Bizzell and Holland fill roles we currently lack depth in, so they might be a little safer.

Warnock doesn't seem to have taken the next step. He's been in the system for a long time...

I think five retirements/delistings would be enough, likely followed by another five (possibly much more difficult such as White and Neitz) next year.

That leaves us with three national draft picks, a preseason draft pick and the elevation of Jace Bode.

I like Bode, he looks a little bit like he might be a transformer...

what gives me hope is our youngsters from the last few years of drafting. if you match our best 10 youngster to any other club, we are bloody impressive, possibly in the top 4 group of youngsters in the afl. If people want to see how other people listed their youngsters and how ours compare use the search buttom on bigfooty.com.au.

top 10 young players:

1) Mclean

2) Jones

3) Bate

4) Sylvia

5) Bartram

6) Bell

7) Pettard

8) Dunn

9) Newton

10) Frawley

Other youngish players: Rivers, Moloney, Davey, P.Johnson, C.Johnson (+ Buckley and Garland still early development)

That's 15 players i named, all of whom are of extremely high quality youngsters, even compared to the rest of the afl. add another 4-5 really highly rated top 30 picks for next season and you're looking at a really promising future.

add a solid group of mid-age players: Green, Johnstone, Bruce, Wheatley, Robertson, Carrol.

the main problem i see in our list is the 9 +30s, and all the mediocre dead-wood still on our list. we can certainly take much hope from our current core of youngsters. with another 2 years of good drafting, and slowing culling the dead wood on our list and i see no reason why we cant go straight back up to the top.

top 10 young players:

1) Mclean

2) Jones

3) Bate

4) Sylvia

5) Bartram

6) Bell

7) Pettard

8) Dunn

9) Newton

10) Frawley

Poor old Belly, still rated below Sylvia even though he's provided a consistent strong presence as well as a couple of match-saving performances. I have patience for Sylvia, acknowledging the injury issues, but on that basis shouldn't Bartram be ahead of him? (1 season, 3rd in Rising Star).

It'd be interesting to rate them on consistency, actually - might re-shape something like -

Jones

Bell

Bartram

Petterd

Newton

Mclean

Bate

Dunn

Sylvia

Frawley

Meanwhile, I still think Chris Johnson can come through. Don't know where his pre-season cup form went, but we have to find it because that was a good player.

Buckley and Bode are both pretty fast, good acceleration, right? I'd love to see them perform because, as others have commented, we could use some pace in the line-up.