I think we can read a fair bit into the Gold Coast game, and it isn't pretty. All season we've been able to use the injury excuse and convince ourselves that all will be ok when our injured players return next year.
But Gold Coast had just as many important outs as we did:
Freo: Fyfe, Bennell, Sandilands, Johnson, Barlow, Ballantyne, A Pearce, McCarthy (hopefully)
Suns: Ablett, Rischitelli, Swallow, Prestia, O'Meara, Hall, McKenzie, Rosa
If you add those players into their respective teams, who starts 2017 with the better list? With their wealth of young talented KPPs already on the park, I reckon Gold Coast does.
That's how far we are from being a contender again, behind Gold Coast. It's going to be a long slow rebuild. Not that it won't be enjoyable to watch some of our youngsters develop, and we will get back up there, but it ain't happening in 2017.