Jeez Louise, we just finished a season as minor premiers, missed out on a second GF appearance by bugger all, in losing the prelim it was to a team that has played in the last four GF's having won three of them and we have gone into depression and panic because Cam McCarthy did not come home.
Collingwood had similar problems with Brisbane when they did a similar trick back in the early two thousands, but they hung in and won a premiership.
We have just recruited Mr attack and destroy from the Gold Coast, Tabs is set to have a breakout year, we have a bloke who can cover McPharlans retirement in Alex Pearce, we have the current reigning Brownlow medallist and best player in the league on our list in Nat Fyfe, Alex Silvagni and Tanner Smith both deserve to get a run in the backline. This year may well see Blakely, Langdon and Weller unleashed on the rest of the AFL world. Our young tall's are now not so young tall's and should be given the opportunity to play. There is no point developing players for three years then delisting them because some other bloke at the same development level might be better. Give them a go and we may well be surprised, if they fail then delist them and give the next crop behind them a go.
The real kicker for me is that with Father son and academy picks in the draft some handy players may fall our way.
Our upside is massive, though I am sure we will be (once again) written off as a side that has peaked and is on the slide, but I just cant see how we will not get stronger.