The game is not any more attacking than it was last year. Hawthorn, Adelaide Roos, Geelong Richmond, GCS and Doggies are doing what they've always done. Freo and Sydney are just about the only teams that build a game around defence. Their game plan is least suited to the reduced interchange no sub rule. Sydney have better coaching and personnel than we do, they'll adapt as much as they need to. It's still good enough to smash WC, who were apparently unstoppable.
We're getting found out without an AA Backman and Ruckman - arguably the best in the comp. Duffield was underrated too, but a vital defence cog. It ain't the game, it's the players we've got. The bulk of our players were poorly skilled to start with. A deficiency that gets papered over with a stop start, flood, smother and tackle game. But it was still plain to see.
