rogerrocks,
if you read my original response, and I know you have because you commented on it, then you'll see that I don't view any of those players as 'elite'. 'Elite' puts them in the top 5% of the AFL. We would have 1 'elite' player in Fyfe. We would have some very good players in Neale and Mundy. Most teams have 1 or 2 'elite' players, sometimes 3.
To be classed as 'elite' you need to be one the AFL's top performers ie Ablett, Dangerfield, Martin Players of that calibre are rare.
Given that, the claim we have half a dozen 'elite' players doesn't hold up to scrutiny because if we had that many 'elite' players we'd be winning every week. Saying a bloke is playing well, doesn't make them elite. It was an overreach to try and talk the coach up but it doesn't fly.
To answer your question directly the comment about underperforming was aimed at the overreach because we don't really have that many 'elite' players.
edit: I'll add to that with an article listing the AFL's elite players based on champion data which would be overly generous looking at some of the names classed as elite.
www.afc.com.au/news/2018-02-05/afls-elite 