My impression of Ross and Bond are that they were pretty untalented players who relied on hard work rather than being blessed with skill. They seem to look for these qualities in players - mediocre blokes who run all day and try really hard. Someone on the inside told me the board didn't want Fyfe with that pick 21, instead preferring Bastinac. Smart overruled them all. As a result we have what we have, poor list management, poor recruiters, average recruits - although Blakely, Weller, Langdon, Balic, Tucker could all be good if playing in stronger team with the likes of Johnson, Barlow, Fyfe, Walters, Sandilands, Bennell, Neale and Hill. We need experience in defence, the middle and up forward. One bloke can make a difference. It also helps to have consecutive games with the core of those players available: a midfield with Sandi, Neale, Mundy, Fyfe, Hill, Barlow all running through it hasn't been seen for the vast majority of this year. A forward line with Walters, Bennell and Yarran looks good too, but to compensate for injuries Walters has had to go into the midfield, and Yarran has played five games, Bennell zero.
