Season 2008

The day after the Grand Final seems as good a day as any to review the 2008 AFL season. First though, a note on yesterday's post. I think I may have been a little harsh in criticising the quality of yesterday's Grand Final. It might not have been a classic for the ages, but it was still a pretty good Grand Final - one of the better ones, at the very least. For me the Hawthorn-Geelong clash ranks above the 1999, 2000, 2003, 2004 and 2007 Grand Finals, below the 2002, 2005 and 2006 matches, and on level terms with the 2001 Brisbane-Essendon clash (a similar match in fact). Anyway, here are my feelings on the 2008 season...

1. Hawthorn (20-5)
2008: Obviously a magnificent season for the Premiers. Perhaps the mark of a great team is not only its ability to win matches, but to genuinely affect the way the game is played. With their zone defense, which suffocated opponents into submission, the Hawks did just that. Their revolutionary zone was able to mask a few defensive deficiencies, the midfield led by skipper Sam Mitchell, consistent and underrated Brad Sewell, hard-nuts Jordan Lewis and Chance Bateman, and the still useful Shane Crawford was terrific all year. The forward line was the story though, with the mercurial Lance Franklin dominant all season, and well backed by the capable Jarryd Roughead and Mark Williams. Lost a few matches that they shouldn't have (Richmond, Kangaroos, St. Kilda) but come finals that didn't matter. The Hawks made the Dogs and Saints look very bad, and then did the same to the Cats. A brilliant season. Grade: A
Greatest strength: Zone defense. The biggest tactical story of the year. The way the Hawks employed this all season made it virtually impossible to advance the ball forward out of your backline. The way the Hawks suffocated the Bulldogs in the qualifying final with the zone was extraordinary.
Area that needs to be addressed: The Ruck. Robert Campbell and Brent Renouf is probably the weakest premiership ruck tandem for... ever?
MVP: Lance Franklin. I was tempted to go with the inspirational Luke Hodge, but Buddy is the Hawks most important player. His ability to win matches off his own boot is second to none. Showed something in the Grand Final too, despite being beaten on the day he still was able to produce two crucial goals. They say the mark of a great player is being able to get it done even when you're not at your best. That's exactly what Buddy did yesterday. The most exciting player in the league.
Outlook: Is there any reason to believe the Hawks won't be even better next year? That's the scary thing, this team is so young. The potential loss of Crawford won't hurt too much, the Hawks have the depth to cover the veteran. The most frightening prospect for opposition teams is that Lance Franklin is only going to get better. Assuming they aren't decimated by injuries this team is a virtual lock for top 2 next year.

2. Geelong (23-2)
2008: Dominated all year but came up short when it mattered. The degree to which Geelong choked away the 2008 premiership can not be understated. With Hawthorn on the ropes midway through the final term the game was theirs for the taking. Instead Hawthorn reeled off three of four goals in a row. A great team would never let that happen. The Cats were again dominant in the home and away season, destroying opponents on a weekly basis. They did slip a few times though, the loss to Collingwood and close escapes against Fremantle, Port Adelaide, Hawthorn and the Kangaroos. Rarely were they matched though. The defensive unit was rock solid, the forward line creative and the midfield the best in the league. The Bartel-Ablett-Corey-Selwood quartet was brilliant. It's hard to beat a team when they have 4 of the 15 players in the league all playing in the same part of the ground. It was all for nothing though, as the Cats came up short in September. Grade: A-
Greatest strength: Midfield. Joel Selwood would be the best midfielder at nine different clubs. At Geelong he's the fourth best. That says it all.
Area that needs to be addressed: Forward line. Cam Mooney choking in the Grand Final just highlighted how shallow the Cats forward line is. With Steve Johnson beginning to play further up the ground, the Cats rely too much on Cam Mooney. Tom Lonergan is an average player at best, so Cam Mooney is the only reliable tall target in the forward line. The midfield makes the forward line look a lot better. Much like Quentin Lynch never would have kicked 60 goals in a season without Judd, Cousins and Kerr, it's hard to see Matty Stokes and Lonergan kicking 38 and 36 goals respectively at any other club. If this club wants to take the next step into the truly elite it needs another key forward.
MVP: Cam Mooney and Matthew Scarlett might be more important structuarly, but Gary Ablett is still what makes this team tick. Incredibly Ablett improved on his amazing 2007 season. An extraordinary talent, Ablett's core strength and low centre of gravity make him virtually impossible to tackle. His performance in a losing Grand Final only enhanced his reputation as the #1 player in the league.
Outlook: No reason to think the Cats won't be back next year on the final Saturday of September. Ablett (25 next year), Bartel (25), Corey (27), Chapman (27), Ling (28), Johnson (26), Rooke (27) and Enright (28) will all still be in their primes next year. Joel Selwood will be 21 next year. Guys like Harley (31), Ottens (29), Scarlett (30), Mooney (30) and Milburn (32) are all getting on but should be able to contribute next year. Beyond that though things are less certain.

3. Western Bulldogs (16-1-8)
2008: A mixed season for the Dogs. One loss through 15 rounds was extraordinary. The Dogs were playing a free-flowing wonderfully attacking style of game. They were impossible to slow down. The Round 16 thumping at the hands of Geelong was a reality check though, and that sent the Dogs in a spiral where they finished the season with just three wins from their final ten matches. In the finals their fortunes were mixed. The Hawks embarassed them but they bounced back strong and took care of Sydney. They then pushed Geelong almost to the brink, but choked away the match with countless missed shots in the third term. On the whole you have to consider the season a success, but it's a hollow statement given where they were at Round 15 as opposed to where they finished. Grade: B+
Greatest strength: Run. When this team runs and carries going forward into attack they look as good as any team in the league. Their ability to win matches largely depends on the ability to create run and dash. Quality teams like Hawthorn and Geelong don't allow for it.
Area that needs to be addressed: Forward line is still a problem. The Dogs don't have a single tall forward that can be relied on to deliver week in week out. Scott Welsh (43 goals) and Mitch Hahn (34 goals) are OK stop-gap solutions, but come September neither delivered. With Johnson, Akermanis, Murphy and Giansiracusa the Dogs have a surplus of small forwards, but unlike the Eagles of 05-06 and the Cats of present day the midfield isn't good enough to cover the flaws of the forward 50.
MVP: Brownlow medallist Adam Cooney. I'm not sure his credentials are Brownlow worthy, but Cooney is definitely the best and most important player on this team. He adds class, dash and opportunism to the Bulldog midfield.
Outlook: If the way the season ended is any indication this Bulldog team has a while to go yet. They aren't going to win a flag with this list, they still need a key forward and another gun midfielder. Unless they get those things they're going to be a perennial 3-6 team.

4. St. Kilda (14-11)
2008: A strange season for the Saints. The fact that they only won three more matches than they lost is kind of telling. St. Kilda were once again heavy on talent, but low on heart. Not even Robert Harvey's retirement could propel them to greater emotional heights. The Saints lucked their way into fourth position, with an easy draw and a number of things falling their way. They won the matches they should have, and lost all the ones they shouldn't have. Against the big three of Geelong, Hawthorn and the Dogs they finished a combined 1-5. Add in Collingwood and Sydney, the other teams in the top six and the Saints still have a terrible 3-8 mark. The inability to beat quality sides obviously hurt St. Kilda in September. They played the two elite teams in September and were thoroughly smashed in each match-up. They eked out a win against a Collingwood team which would have lost to Melbourne on that night. The shining light of the season was their shock win over Hawthorn in Round 16. For one half of football everything the Saints have promised for half a decade now, they delivered. Grade: B
Greatest strength: Talent. The Saints win matches because of their unreal list of individual talents. Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Hayes, Dal Santo, Ball, Montagna, Fisher, Goddard, Maguire, Gram, the Clarke brothers. The sheer number of talented players on this team is astounding. Unfortunately the Saints play exactly like individuals, there's no cohesion or direction in the team. That's why they're on the outside looking in yet again.
Area that needs to be addressed: Speed in the midfield. Lenny Hayes, Nick Dal Santo and Luke Ball are all quality players but none of them are going to win a 100m sprint. The Saints simply get run off their feet by too many teams.
MVP: Nick Riewoldt. Is any player more important to his team than Riewoldt is to the Saints? Without Riewoldt St. Kilda are probably a borderline bottom four team believe it or not. Saint Nick elevated the Saints to a higher level of play in the second half of the season almost singehandedly. His level of performance is largely indicative of his team's result. So not surprisingly Riewoldt played one brilliant final and two shockers, and the Saints won one final convincingly, and were thumped in the other two.
Outlook: It's hard to know what to expect from these Saints. They always promise so much yet fail to deliver. They tease their fans with the odd brilliant performance, only to come thudding back down to Earth soon after. Backing up the tremendous win over Hawthorn with a loss to lowly West Coast was not only indicative of the 2008 season, but of the club in general. The team is still relatively young. The core of Riewoldt, Koschitzke, Dal Santo, Fisher, Gram, Goddard, Montagna and Ball is still under 27. But the problem with this team has never been talent, it's been heart. There are no signs this team is about to turn it around, so it's hard to see them getting any closer to a Grand Final than they were this year.

5. Sydney (13-1-10)
2008: You have to think that this was the last year of relevance for the Swans for maybe a while. Considering that the Swans finished the season on a 4-7 run doesn't inspire much confidence. What is more disturbing though is this - in the 2008 home and away season the Swans beat one finals team. That's quite extraordinary. In the regular season Sydney finished 1-9 against teams that finished in the top eight. And the lone win came against at home in poor conditions against a struggling St. Kilda side. Sydney have reached the stage where they can still take care of weak sides, but are unable to raise their game against the big dogs of the league. The Swans played in five matches this year that were decided by two kicks or less and won four of them. This team had no business playing a home final let alone making the finals. The team is old, worn out and in dire need of some youth. They played a terrific final against the lowly Kangaroos, but were completely handled the following week by the Bulldogs. The season is difficult to judge, as they did a) make the finals, and b) won a final. The team simply wasn't very good, but they played well enough when they had to. Grade: B-
Greatest strength: Tackling. The Swans list isn't that talented these days, but talent isn't something you require for tackling. Led by inspirational hard nut Brett Kirk, the Swans led the lead in tackling, as they are accustomed to doing these days. They might not win as often as they used to, but the Swans make sure you earn victory physically.
Area that needs to be addressed: Speed and youth. These things often come hand in hand. The conditions in the first final against the Roos masked Sydney's lack of speed, but they were exposed by the Dogs on the fresh MCG grass. Sydney simply can't keep up with teams.
MVP: Jarrad McVeigh was Sydney's best player this year, and may be for the next few years, but Adam Goodes is still far and away the most valuable. McVeigh is pushing for it, but Goodes is still the only special player on the Sydney team. He elevates them.
Outlook: Not good. The team is too old, and at best might be semi-relevant for one more year. Kieran Jack and Jarryd Moore are great young talents but beyond them the youth is thin. Maybe next year the Swans have a half chance at competing for the eight, but after that fans should prepare for a prolonged run in the cellars of the competition.

6. Collingwood (13-11)
2008: A strange season for the Pies. It's hard to know whether they overachieved or underachieved. I think they fall somewhere in between. They simply achieved. As has been the case for three years now, Collingwood shot themselves in the foot by failing to take care of lesser teams. Losses to Fremantle, Carlton (twice) and Essendon really killed the season. The 12-10 record didn't really represent where Collingwood stood in the competition. Collingwood didn't play in that many close matches, but the two matches they played in that went down to the wire (2 point loss to Brisbane, the Didak miss against the Kangaroos) they lost. Often a season is made by winning the matches that could go either way, this year Collingwood lost them and found themselves trying to win the flag from 8th spot. The stat that stands out about Collingwood's season though is this - against teams ranked in the top 7 Collingwood finished 6-3, against teams ranked 8th and below they finished 6-7. In finals the Pies were a mixed bag. They played a pretty good match against Adelaide, before playing their worst match of the season against St. Kilda the following week. The losses of Buckley, Licuria and Clement from last season, and the absences of Rocca, Rusling and then later on Didak and Shaw hurt Collingwood a lot. Considering injuries and the Didak fiasco, Collingwood did pretty well to win a final. Grade: B+
Greatest strength: Game-changing players. An odd strength to have, but the Pies team is almost built upon the ability of Dale Thomas, Leon Davis, Paul Medhurst and Alan Didak to change matches. These four guys are what make Collingwood special. They're skillful, clever and creative. Hopefully all four are back next year.
Area that needs to be addressed: THE RUCK. I'm almost resigned to the fact that Collingwood will never ever have a half decent ruckman. The stats speak for themselves. Since 1999 Collingwood's averages in hitouts per game amongst the league have ranked like this - 14th, 16th, 16th, 12th, 15th, 16th, 16th, 15th, 12th, 13th. It's as astounding as it is depressing. Compare that to this, since 2001 the premiership team has ranked - 2nd, 4th, 3rd, 6th, 2nd, 3rd, 2nd and this year 9th. The stats don't lie, unless you have Buddy Franklin you need a good ruckman to win the premiership. Josh Fraser, Chris Bryan and Cameron Wood don't inspire much confidence.
MVP: Travis Cloke might be more important, but this year Paul Medhurst was the most valuable. Statistically Medhurst was brilliant, 16 disposals 8 marks and 2 goals a game doesn't grow on trees. It went beyond the statistics. It was around the Essendon game (the one we lost) where Medhurst officially made the leap. As a fan you just got the sense that everytime he got the ball he was going to do something special with it. After 11 years of watching Collingwood play the only other player I developed this sense with was Buckley. And that's the greatest compliment I can give any Collingwood player.
Outlook: Clouded. It's difficult to get a handle on this team. I can rationalise them finishing next year anywhere between 3rd and 13th. The case to be made for them states that O'Brien, Brown, Goldsack and Maxwell all get better, and the return of Heath Shaw with something to prove shores up the defense. Rocca, Rusling and Reid all return to give us a forward line of Cloke, Rocca and the choice of Reid/Rusling/Dawes to go alongside Paul Medhurst and John Anthony. The case against says that Medhurst and Davis come back down to Earth, Anthony Rocca's corpse doesn't do anything, Travis will never deliver, the Pies lack a gun midfielder and competent ruckman, and we still don't have anyone to stop the Franklins, Fevolas and Riewoldts of the world. The question hinges on Ben Cousins. If we get him, I like us as a top four team. If we don't we're destined to spend the fourth year running as a bottom half of the eight side.

7. Adelaide (13-10)
2008: Same old, same old really. Finished inexplicably high on the ladder after 22 rounds but failed to deliver in finals. My theory is this - Adelaide is a well-oiled machine that overachieves every home and away season because of their coach. They win because of tactics, structure and strategy. When it comes to finals though, you need a depth of talent and a lot of heart. Adelaide don't have that. The telling stat is this - in Neil Craig's tenure Adelaide have come from behind at three quarter time to win a match once. That's incredible. The Crows just don't look like a tough team. They got as close as 8 or 9 points in the last quarter of the final against Collingwood but I was never really that worried. Science and structure are no substitute for a killer instinct. Grade: B
Greatest strength: Strategy and discipline. The Crows don't take nights off. They always come to play, and if their is a realistic shot of winning they'll do it or come pretty close to it. The Crows win matches that they should, they finished 10-3 against the bottom eight this year.
Greatest weakness: Talent. Being well-oiled and ready to play every night can only get you so far. You need a depth of talent all over the field. You look at Adelaide's list and it's no wonder they haven't won a final in three years. The Crows have four genuinely quality players - Scott Thompson, Brett Burton, Jason Porplyzia and Andrew McLeod. Porplyzia couldn't stay healthy and Burton is a perennial injury concern. McLeod is 32 years old. Scott Thompson made a leap of sorts this year, but he can still be too easily shut out of matches and doesn't perform in big games.
MVP: I actually think it's Andrew McLeod. He's the heart and soul of the team, he provides drive and class of the half back line. Until Scott Thompson steps up the MVP is McLeod's.
Outlook: It's too hard to tell with these Crows. If Burton and Porplyzia are healthy for next year, and the draw favours them they'll have a crack at the eight again. If not, then they're in trouble.

8. Kangaroos (12-1-10)
2008: Wow, what happened? Entering round 21 the Kangaroos were believed to be the second best team in the competition. After they lost, but didn't disgrace themselves, against Geelong they were still believed to be as good a contender as anyone. All they had to do was take care of lowly Port Adelaide in Melbourne and they had fourth spot. Incredibly they lost, and they didn't just lose - they were smashed. All of a sudden they found themselves in 7th spot, confidence shattered into a million pieces and a trip to Sydney and poor conditions ahead. They played a terrible final and were one and done. So much can change in three weeks. Grade: B-
Greatest strength: Discipline and focus. Like Adelaide the Kangaroos play hard every week. They tackle hard and do all the small things. Rarely do they lose matches they should win (unless fourth spot and the double chance is on the line).
Greatest weakness: Midfield depth. There isn't much on offer after Brent Harvey. Adam Simpson will be 33 next year, Brady Rawlings is a negator, Daniel Wells might be trade bait and Jess Sinclair is nothing but a poor man's Nick Dal Santo.
MVP: Does it even need to be said? Brent Harvey is the reason the Kangaroos are even relevant. He's a mercurial talent, as well as the guy that makes this team tick.
Outlook: People write off the Kangaroos every year. Already they're something like 14th favourite to win the flag next year. Shannon Grant is done, and Adam Simpson, Jess Sinclair, Corey Jones and even Brent Harvey won't be far behind. The team is surprisingly young though, although the youth doesn't exactly wow anyone. If Hale and Petrie can perform like they did this year in 2009 then the Roos are a chance, but as of now I don't have them in the finals.

9. Richmond (11-1-10)
2008: I think the Ninthmond Tigers has a better ring to it. Luckily this year the heartbreak wasn't so painful for the Tiger supporters - they were never really in it. The team took massive strides this year, and for a unit that was a consensus bottom two pick, they showed up everyone. They showed the future by finishing the season an astounding 8-3. In spite of all this I feel like the positive win-loss record is a bit misleading. I still can't really see how this team did so well. When you look closer the team really wasn't that good. On that 8-3 run seven of the teams they beat were bottom eight sides. Against top eight teams the Tigers were 1-1-9, they still have a while to go. Grade: B+
Greatest strength: Swagger. You have to like the way this team plays. In close matches they genuinely know what they're doing. The wins over Carlton in the first match of the season, Essendon, Brisbane and Port Adelaide at AAMI were inspirational.
Area that needs to be addressed: The forward line is going to be a problem very soon. By next season Matthew Richardson will be 34. Jack Riewoldt is too thin, and no one else really stands out as a forward line option.
MVP: Call me the devil but what the hell - Joel Bowden. The case for Matthew Richardson is obvious, but the older Bowden's case is just as strong. For someone that was dropped early in the year Joel Bowden had a remarkable season. The 30 year old defender won three matches in the dying seconds. The courageous mark back with the flight to earn victory against Port Adelaide, the composed killing of the clock against Essendon, and the super clutch goal against Brisbane to keep the season alive. Richardson may have been better, but you can't say Bowden wasn't valuable.
Outlook: Obviously bright. The youth is fantastic. Deledio and Foley are stars and Cotchin (if he isn't already) will be there soon. This still isn't a finals side though. Richardson is in for a regression and Nathan Brown isn't getting any younger. I'm guessing a slight decline in wins next year and finals the year after.

10. Brisbane (10-12)
2008: What a collapse. After being touted as a top four team the Lions finished the year 3-8 and somehow fell behind Richmond. The Lions lost three matches (Melbourne, Kangaroos, Carlton) where they were in a position where they seemingly couldn't lose. Simply put they choked. This Lions team is possibly the biggest anomaly in the AFL. Are they a good team? Last year there was about a five week patch towards the end of the season where they were playing better football than any team in the league. This year they started the season at 7-3 and were well on their way. Once again it all turned to crap. The forward line is completely reliant on Brown and Bradshaw, there's no halfway competent third option. The midfield is good, but the defense is suspect. Daniel Merrett doesn't exactly inspire a lot of confidence as a number one key defender. The Lions played some great footy this year but too often didn't show up, and when push came to shove they were left wincing in the corner. Grade: C
Greatest strength: The midfield. The obvious option is the Bradshaw/Brown tandem, but I question Bradshaw's quality and the midfield really is fantastic. Old hands Simon Black, Luke Power and rejuvenated Travis Johnstone along with young guns Michael Rischitelli and Brad Dalziell make this unit formiddible at the feet of Jamie Charman.
Greatest weakness: Performance in the clutch. The team simply doesn't know what to do in clutch situations. They don't manage the clock or control tempo. That's why they didn't play finals for the fourth year running.
MVP: J. Brown is the obvious answer, but the Brownlow medal runner-up deserves some love. I don't think people really appreciate exactly how good Simon Black is. There's a reason he finished runner up this year and won the medal a few years back. The way he gets himself to every stoppage and wins the ball at the clinches is amazing. My defining memory of Black is from last year in a classic match against Sydney. With the season on the line and down by a goal with about 30 seconds to go the Swans were suffocating the stoppages. Black was able to win the ball cleanly, run along the boundary line and deliver a desperate handball to Luke Power as his legs fell from beneath him. Power delivered to Jonathan Brown who slotted the goal to keep the season alive. That passage was so indicative of Simon Black. The hard worker and matchwinner whose work so often goes unnoticed. Not by the umpires though, and definitely not by me.
Outlook: Pretty good I think. Black and Power are 29 and 28 respectively so they'll have 2-3 years left of quality football and probably more. Newly re-signed skipper Jonathan Brown is just 26, and the youth looks very good. Taking over from Leigh Matthews is no easy gig, but I think a breath of fresh air might be good for this team. I fully expect them to play finals next year.

11. Carlton (10-12)
2008: A rollercoaster year for the Blues and a return to relevance. This team scares me. They piss me off just as much. I hate the fact that they've tanked their way into Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs and Matthew Kreuzer, and now seem set for years. After losing their first three matches the Blues finished the season 10-9 and look in great shape for the future. The midfield is frightening. Judd, Murphy, Gibbs, Stevens, Carrazo, Scotland? C'mon. Seems like Judd left Kerr and Cousins for two guys that are going to be as good as them. All season the Blues played with a genuine swagger and belief. They believed they were good enough to win matches and they ended up doing just that. The come from behind wins interstate over Port Adelaide and Brisbane were unreal. Unlike Richmond, Carlton actually managed to compete against some half-decent teams. The Blues finished just 3-5 against teams in the top six, and were very unlucky not to snatch a win over Sydney. The year was a huge success for Carlton, and success is something this team is only going to see more of. Grade: A-
Greatest strength: Midfield. Judd and Murphy are superstars, Bryce Gibbs will be, Nick Stevens is an established gun, and Heath Scotland and Carrazo are very solid. It's a scary unit.
Area that needs to be addressed: Aside from getting a Robin to Fevola's Batman, the Blues need a ruckman. They ranked 16th in hitouts this season and need some stop-gap to put the ball to Judd, Murphy and co's advantage while Kreuzer develops.
MVP: Chris Judd. He provides leadership, hardness and intelligence to the football club. Fully expect him to regain his title as best player in the league once healthy.
Outlook: Very bright. If the Blues can get say Jeff White and someone else steps up in the forward line there is no reason they can't be playing finals next year. In 2010 and beyond though, that's where they'll be really dangerous.

12. Essendon (8-14)
2008: They showed the future in 2008 but more often than not at the cost of the present. They play an exciting free-flowing brand of footy, but it lacks accountability and pressure. Hopefully that will improve in time. The list is young and explosive. Reimers, Jetta, Davey and Houli are all exciting talents. Watson, Stanton, Monfries and Welsh will hold down spots for years. This year was largely a development year though. The Dons simply weren't good enough to play well enough over 22 rounds to be relevant. The fact that 12 of their 14 losses came amidst losing streaks is indicative of the inexperienced list. The season was not lost though, the Dons still showed that they have a bright future. Grade: B-
Greatest strength: Exciting young talent. Similar to Collingwood, Essendon have a number of players that can simply break games open. Houli, Jetta, Reimers and Davey (assuming he's the same when he returns) can all turn matches with their unreal talents.
Area that needs to be addressed: Accountability. The Dons didn't man up all year and it hurt them. No team conceded more goals. This one's on Matthew Knights.
MVP: Matthew Lloyd. This year he was the barometer. 62 goals this season was a remarkable effort from the skipper. Lloyd kicked 33 goals in 8 Bomber wins. He kicked 29 in 14 losses. When Lloyd fired so did Essendon.
Outlook: Mixed. Next year is no sure thing. Lloyd and Lucas will be 31 and Fletcher will be 34. We've seen the best of them. That said the youth will step up again, and McVeigh and Hille will still be in their prime. 10 wins is the next step.

13. Port Adelaide (7-15)
2008: Were much better than their record indicated. Like Brisbane and Fremantle last year's runners-up simply couldn't get over the line in close games. In games decided by 20 points or less the Power were 1-8. Contrast that to last year when the Power were 8-2 in those games. The team was largely unchanged from the Grand Final side of last year. Port simply weren't a very good team last year. Everything fell their way. They won matches against Hawthorn and Port Adelaide late in the season that they simply shouldn't have. In finals they snuck over the line against an injury-decimated West Coast and a mediocre Kangaroos side. This year's results were more indicative of the quality of the side than last year's. That said Port Adelaide are much better than a 7 win team. They should have won 10-11 matches this year. The youth in the team is exciting, and they still have a number of gun players. Last year everything went right, this year everything went wrong. They've been at both extremes, but that's football. Grade: D+
Greatest strength: Ruck. The Power ranked #1 in hitouts this year. Port have always been blessed with elite ruckman, with Matthew Primus, Brendon Lade and Dean Brogan the Power have incredibly ranked in the top half of the league in hitouts ever since their inception.
Area that needs to be addressed: Key position players. Port lack a key defender or key forward. The forward line is held down by the smaller Brett Ebert and Daniel Motlop. These guys are terrific players but shouldn't be the focal point of any forward line. Tredrea's corpse needs to be laid to rest, and the Westhoffs are too thin. In defense Toby Thurstans doesn't inspire a lot of confidence. Chad Cornes might need to be established at one end next year.
MVP: Hard to call. Chad Cornes is the most important, his brother is the most consistent, but its Shaun Burgoyne that elevates them to another level. Burgoyne doesn't get his fair due, he's one of the elite players in the league. A dominant force at the clearances, Burgoyne's performance against Collingwood in Round 20 (33 disposals 18 clearances) was astounding.
Outlook: I fully expect Port Adelaide to be back in finals next year. There's too much talent in this team. A full season of Chad Cornes and Shaun Burgoyne and the continued development of young players, combined with improved results in close games will be enough for a finals spot.

14. Fremantle (6-16)
2008: One of the most bizarre seasons you'll ever see. How a team can have a percentage of 94 and lose 16 games is beyond me. The Dockers simply failed in every possible close situation. Losing five games in a row when leading at three quarter time is astounding. In reality Freo were probably as good or better than the higher placed Carlton/Richmond/Essendon trio. It's harsh to pin it on one man, but if Matthew Pavlich could kick straight Fremantle definitely would have had two more wins, and possibly four. The youth was promising on the year though, Rhys Palmer is a gun and Garrick Ibbotson will be a 200 game player. Grade: D+
Greatest strength: Ruck. Aaron Sandilands gives his team an advantage that no other team has.
Area that needs to be addressed: Taking advantage of the ruck. Freo has this advantage that other teams (hmmmm Collingwood?) would kill for. Sandilands is winning the ruck every week yet Fremantle were unable to capitalise on it. They need a better stoppage structure and more intelligence from the midfielders.
MVP: Matthew Pavlich. No brainer. The Captain failed in clutch situations this year, but excelled in every other situation. Still the barometer of the club and one of the ten best players in the league.
Outlook: A healthy Paul Haselby, the continued improvement of the youngsters and Fremantle can push for finals next year. I think the team is too young though, and the mental fragility won't just go away. They'll come close next year but they'll spend a third consecutive September on the outisde looking in.

15. West Coast (4-18)
2008: How far the mighty have fallen. I don't think a dynasty has ever ended so quickly. And so violently. The Eagles simply imploded without superstars Chris Judd and Ben Cousins. The team lacked leadership, direction and health all season long. They weren't quite as bad as their record reflected, injuries hurt them more than any other team, but they were still horrible. Veterans looked terrible and the youth showed their inexperience. They played a handful of decent matches, but too often they simply didn't show up for matches. I've said it before and I'll say it again - the loss at home to Geelong was the single worst performance I have seen from and team in any code of sport. Grade: E
Greatest strength: Ummm? I guess it's the ruck. Dean Cox is still the pre-eminent ruckman in the league and he makes the Eagles competitive in stoppages at the very least.
Area that needs to be addressed: Leadership. The void left by Judd and Cousins can not be understated. Usually steady hands Darren Glass and Tyson Stenglein had years to forget, and leader Adam Hunter couldn't get on the field.
MVP: Clearly Dean Cox. In a year when the Eagles looked like rubbish Cox only enhanced his reptuation as one of the best players, and best blokes in the competition.
Outlook: The youth is solid and the veterans (Embley, Stenglein, Glass, Hunter, Wirrpanda) should bounce back. The middle-band of players in their prime is still pretty good. Cox, Kerr, Priddis, Selwood, Rosa, Waters, Lynch, Hansen and LeCras is a pretty good group of players. It'd be extraordinary if they bounced back to play finals next year, but with some health and focus it's not out of the question. Still though, smart money is on a bottom four finish.

16. Melbourne (3-19)
2008: One of the most inept seasons of all time. You don't wind up with a percentage of 62 easily. You have to earn that. And the Demons did. It was one of the worst ever teams you'll ever see. The veterans went down early, the youth didn't impress a lot and the team played sloppy football all season. I don't think there's anything positive to take out of the season. Grade: E-
Greatest strength: ...
Area that needs to be addressed: Getting good players. Seriously, if you were building a finals team from the ground up who would you take from the Melbourne team? Cameron Bruce and Brock McLean probably. Nathan Jones might have a shot at the bench.
MVP: Cameron Bruce I guess. The classy midfielder quietly pieced together one of his finest seasons.
Outlook: They'll be competitive... in 2013.