I reckon (well, at the very least I'm hoping) that there may be some truth in what you're saying, timmeh. The stats seem to back it up - for the first 6-7 rounds (if I'm not mistaken), we were just about the best team in terms of uncontested possession, both in actual numbers and differential. Those numbers have fallen dramatically, culminating to the loss on the weekend against the Hawks with a -122 differential in uncontested possession, suggesting that we have stopped running or working as hard. There's 2 ways to look at it IMO - either we have indeed increased our training load during the week which doesn't allow us to run as much during game day, or other teams has caught up to us and are out-working and out-running us. I'm optimistic that it is the former (much like you timmeh), and the lads would come good during the right end of the season...at least I'm hoping they will anyways, otherwise that flight to Melbourne on GF weekend will be spent wining and dining with my wife...
The other thing I would do - as soon as Johnno is fit, bring him in for Duff, and have Ibbo play small...when won't lack anything in run, and our ability to intercept mark would also increase by playing Johnno and Ibbo. A Pearce have done enough to keep a spot in the team IMO..