This is a great question, and very difficult to answer. The main problem for me is that a couple of our key areas of need are potentially addressed by players that are long term injured. Add A Pearce, Bennel and Apeness to our best 22 and I am confident in a rapid transition.
Agree with you regarding the importance of long term injured in A Pearce, Bennel and Apeness to be in our best 22 to accelerate our chances of climbing the ladder.
Pearce should be ok in 2018 and has shown plenty in his short time at Freo, Bennel has had/got significant injury problems to deal with but is an A grade player if he can get on the park but Apeness is yet to prove himself as an AFL player and has knees that seem destined to cause him plenty of problems going forward unfortunately.
Those three playing regular footy for Freo will help our rise up the ladder but it's still going to take a a few of the younger players to continue to develop their game and a few fresh faces in the way of drafting and perhaps a decent trade or two to make a serious tilt at the finals before 2020.