Have been racking my brain all year pondering the 4th to 16th slide, and agree with most of this assessment. I think the loss of confidence (in no small way due to the Prelim last year, then the unexpected round 1 defeat this year), has not been adequately acknowledged, nor addressed, by the club as a whole.
Footy is a game of cohesion and momentum, and team success flows when the many moving pieces are in sync.
Despite all this, there have been unexpected positive signs, Fritsch is exciting and creative, Hore is committed and reliable, Frost is imposing and instinctive, and Lockhart is explosive and a finisher. It doesn’t make up for the disappointment of the season as a whole, but it gives me faith that next year, with the likely return of Vanders, Melksham, McDonald (Tom), Lever (fit), Jetta (fit), and Hibberd (fit), the combination will be a strong, skilful core, capable of matching any team.