To be fair FA did cost them the best player in the land - for nothing.
They used the comp they got for him to get a young kid who will probably be a gun in a few years.
I'm not saying they're good because of FA. They're good because they've been excellent in all aspects - list management, recruitment, coaching, administration. They did all that without FA and they recruited some great players without FA existing. But I think FA will ensure they never slide. That natural equalization system the AFL tried to cultivate with the draft has been eroded because of it. Clubs will develop players for several years, only for them to walk to Hawthorn in search of premiership success.