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The finals kick off this week, meaning for the majority of AFL clubs and their fans, the season is done and dusted. So what can we expect from the ten teams who are missing September action when season 2017 rolls around?
St Kilda
The Saints had a weird season, with some highs (beating Geelong and Collingwood, two strong wins over Melbourne, flogging Carlton, close calls against Hawthorn and North) and some awful lows (flogged by West Coast, Adelaide and Sydney, a big loss to Gold Coast).
There’s a bit to look forward to in 2017, after missing the finals by percentage. When the Saints clicked, they looked good. With a tiny bit of luck, they could have finished on 15 wins in seventh or eighth spot.
» The Roar’s comprehensive guide to the 2016 AFL Finals
Jack Steven was terrific. Nick Riewoldt shows no signs of slowing down. Giving up the captaincy looks a strange move at first glance, but it may play out well as the giant Duracell bunny will be able to focus more on keeping fit and sharp.
Tim Membrey, Jarryn Geary and Sam Gilbert were all strong contributors, and they weren’t alone.
Port Adelaide
After last season’s disappointing 12 and ten, Power decided to further bedevil pundits by finishing ten and 12. Garry Hocking’s exit from the coaching staff comes alongside the delisting of John Butcher, Kane Mitchell and Sam Colquhoun, and the retirement of forward Jay Schulz at age 31. Vice-captain Hamish Hartlett also seems set to depart. Something had to give.
In their 2014 preliminary final, Port were extremely unlucky to lose to the Hawks at the MCG. While Hawthorn went on to smash Sydney in the decider, the Power have fallen off the face of the Earth. Did that prelim happen? Was it a mass hallucination? Ken, please.
Port haven’t used a first-round draft pick for anything but trade currency since 2012 and may need to re-think their approach to recruiting. However, there’s enough talent on the list and enough character in the club to make it impossible to write them off.
Melbourne
The poor old Dees did what young teams do and dropped a clutch game against Carlton. That broke their spirits and the subsequent 111-point mauling by Geelong was not an appropriate end to a very promising season.
I’ve touched on this earlier, and can follow up by predicting Melbourne will improve next season. If that happens, it will be tough for other aspiring upstarts to squeeze them out of the finals.
Collingwood
Another season that was more hype than hope saw the Woods win a paltry nine games – two were of some significance, the rest were tripe.
In 2010 and 2011 a bloke named Mick Malthouse coached these Pies to a premiership and a grand final, but after that he had to go for some reason that will remain a mystery for 10,000 years.
Nathan Buckley looks like becoming yet another ‘favourite son’ to toil migtily and bring forth a peanut as a coach, as this is the third successive season in which Collingwood has failed to feature in the finals.
Darcy Moore reminds me of a skinny Barry Stoneham, pre-broken leg, and he’s not the only promising player at the club. The problem for the Pies is that if they only improve marginally next season, there will still be eight teams who are better.
Richmond
Richmond, why do you do this?
Having said that, the Tigers are looking aggressive in the off season. They will probably try to do what Geelong did in the trading period after last season and plug their gaps with some ready-made, quality recruits. Dion Prestia is a good get, though losing Tyrone Vickery is far from ideal. Ben Griffiths should step up next season.
Martin Hiscock’s claim that the Tigers are “35 years into a five-year plan” is harsh but fair, and the desire to keep Damien Hardwick is actually consistent with recognising the problems run way deeper (and higher) than the coach. (Click to Tweet)
The Tigers need to clean house off the field and hit the re-set button on what has emerged as the culture of the club. Just as the civil society of a colonised people is distorted by occupation, the current ‘culture’ of Richmond is a counterfeit that mutated out of 33 years of painful disappointment.
They need a revolution. If they get one – look out.
Carlton
Lincoln Steffens – and Prince – said “I have seen the future and it works”. Neither of them saw Carlton’s wins against Geelong and Collingwood, or the narrow losses away against Sydney and West Coast, but Blues fans would be keen to borrow the phrase.
The club used only 35 players this season – a sign the coaching staff reckon they’ve got the right players together and are focussed on development. Seven wins was actually a better result than anticipated, but the loss to Essendon was a sour note on which to end.
Getting Marc Murphy back for – hopefully – a full season and the development of Patrick Cripps are two things to cheer about.
Gold Coast
The ‘Curse of Bluey’ lives on – ever since Guy McKenna was made the scapegoat for Gary Ablett Jr’s injuries, the Suns have been a shambles.
Poor old Ablett – at Geelong he’d have got at least another flag and been able to spend time as a small forward and even on the bench to keep fresh. At Gold Coast he’s carried the entire organisation on his back and it has taken a toll.
Another awful season, and there is no foreseeable end to the tunnel – let alone a light.
Fremantle
Were it not for the last-round win over a depleted Footscray, Fremantle – the 2015 minor premiers – would have won as many games in 2016 as Essendon.
Enough said? No.
Ross Lyon’s claim that the Dockers will spend the next five years rebuilding is borderline certifiable. How can a team with Lachie Neale, Nat Fyfe, Ben Johnson, David Mundy, Michael Walters and Stephen Hill be rebuilding for the next five years? What the hell is going on?
Brisbane Lions
Look, let’s just surrender Queensland to rugby league and put teams in Darwin and Hobart.
Essendon
Essendon will rattle a few cages next season, with big names coming back in, and some good young players who have been fast-tracked by a twist of fate.
Joe Daniher kicked 43.32 in a side that had its guts torn out. Imagine what he could do in a full AFL team if he learns how to kick over the summer?
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