I've been having a think about what it might take for the Demons to be competetive and make finals this year, and although this won't come as a suprise to most, i feel success is reliant on us unearthing one or two genuine KPP down our spine this season.

If you look at the teams that made improvements last season from the one before, i would put it down to unexpected(or expected) players that raised their level of play in key postions.

North Melbourne - McIntosh and Firrito

Collingwood - Cloke and Goldsack

Port Adelaide - Westoff

Geelong - Egan and Mooney

You could even think back to our team in 2006, when we were flying, one of the biggest reasons i felt was the All-Australian form of Nathan Carroll playing fullback. Coming into the last few rounds of 2005, i would not have even known who was going to play FB for us in '06, but Carroll came onto the scene, took his chance and then had a stellar year for us at FB. Also in 2004 when a young Jarred Rivers burst on the scene and Brad Miller was actually playing decent footy at CHF, that was large reason for our success that year as well.

Or think of players at other teams who have had success recentley and were able to unearth players like Rutten, Glass and Bolton.

I would rate our spine possibly one of the worst in the AFL, but there are a few spots along our spine that are up for grabs this year and if one or two our young players can step up to an elite level down our spine i think we will be competetive. Just who these players may be, i am not quite sure.

nah i disagree. Of course teams will improve due to unexpected or expected returns from certain players..but whether its due to Key position players' improvements..i doubt you can make that call..i'm sure there are many key position players that have had a bad season and the team has gone better..nathan thompson rings a bell. he didnt play last year and the roos played well. Q.Lynch also had his best season and the Eagles went worse than their previous season. I think a teams success is due to more factors than just one or two KPP players. And while you say Westhoff as an example, you conveniently left out Tredrea who was useless all year, yet Port still made the final.

Would Westhoff have been unearthed as the player he was last year if Tredrea hadn't have been injured for the start of the season? I doubt it.

Nathan Thompson misses the season, but then Edwards becomes a focal point as a key foward and he steps up.

I don't think that if Brock plays a full season an has a great year it will mean as much to us, as say a Bate becomeing a dominate CHF, or Frawley shutting down opposition key fowards, or if Meesen becoming great tap ruckman and help give us first use of the ball.