Josh Jenkins has run his eye over all 10 AFL teams who missed the top eight and listed the areas for growth for all of them.
It may have been disappointing to miss the eight, but Jenkins has looked at the positives for these sides as they embark on another off-season.
See his thoughts below from SEN’s The Run Home:
Adelaide
“Are they about to build an elite forward line? It is on the back of a lot of draft capital and a lot of money, but Darcy Fogarty, 33 goals in his past 11 games, Riley Thilthorpe, I have no doubt he will become an elite forward-ruck, Josh Rachele, Izak Rankine comes in, and Ned McHenry was a first-round pick as well.”
“So you’ve got four of your own first rounders, plus Rankine, who was a pick three, that’s an enormous amount of capital spent on the forward line, but it’s a really talented group.
“It’s cost them a bit in terms of what they’ve spent at the draft, but it does have the makings of a really great forward line.”
Carlton
“Togetherness, more synergy, another summer in particular spent together under Michael Voss.”
“I think Lochie O’Brien can improve, he dropped off, Zac Williams is one you want more from, Mitch McGovern hopefully gets a run at it from a defensive point of view because there’s no doubt in my mind he can be a very good third defender.
“Tom De Koning will get better, hopefully he surpasses Marc Pittonet, it didn’t happen this year, and even Adam Cerra, second year in the system.
“Just a summer of hard work and togetherness and synergy and building on what they’ve done this year.”
Essendon
“Blank canvas. That’s the growth. They’re starting from ground zero in a sense.”
Gold Coast
“Ben King. He should be at the stage where he’s able to do a full pre-season and just be ready to absolutely tear this thing apart next year.”
“Ben or Max (King)? I’d take Ben. He’s more versatile. I think Ben is better on the ground and he’s a very accurate kick. You’re choosing between two future superstars.”
GWS
“New coach, and we know where he comes from, so potentially a new system and with that comes a reinvigorated group.”
“They just became a bit dour and you get someone new in and it just might reinvigorate the place.”
Hawthorn
“They showed signs this year of being the most potent offensive team in the game.”
“Some of their ball movement was slick. Just go back and watch their win over Port earlier in the season and some of the ball-use that night was sublime.
“They’ll work heavily on the defensive side of their game, but their ball movement is sensational.”
North Melbourne
“Alastair Clarkson. It’s pretty straightforward, isn’t it?”
“What can he do with Jaidyn Stephenson and Jason Horne-Francis. What can he do with Hugh Greenwood, who’s a bit older, but was clearly David Noble’s guy, can you find a way to get something out of him? Callum Coleman-Jones who they went after and paid him good money and allegedly promised him he would be the number one ruck and clearly he’s not going to be that in the short-term.
“But what can Clarko and a new regime do for some of those guys who we look at and think they might have a bit of a smell to them, can Clarko find a way with them.
“You can’t just get rid of everyone and a lot of those guys are contracted too.”
Port Adelaide
“A new mix. Have Connor Rozee and Zak Butters around the ball. You can still have Travis Boak and Ollie Wines and a bit of Willem Drew, but Rozee and Butters are the two that can give them what they need moving forward.”
St Kilda
“I think we know their best is pretty good, but they need some good kids.”
“They need to find a couple of good kids in the draft. You look at Geelong and they added Sam De Koning, and a couple of others come in and revitalise you and give you a little lift and it can be enough.”
West Coast
“Just restart the engine. I give them a pass for this year.”
“The start of their year, they had 17 out at different stages. I’m happy to give them a one-year pass on the back of some of the stuff they had to put up with earlier in the year.
“I’m happy to just see what they look like moving into next year. Oscar Allen will help.”