I'm disappointed in how the season ended, because regardless of how we went in finals the actual act of making them would have been a positive step for the group. But if there's a silver lining it's that there are now some pretty clear objectives for Scott to achieve if he wants to be judged well next season:
- Reinvigorate Selwood, Taylor and Hawkins. I think most people see all three as having had sub-par years by their standards, and they're our best players. Hawkins lost his Mum and I suspect Harry has been carrying an injury. But whatever the case, the onus is on the coach to get the best out of them.
- Improve our work in the contest. Too many times Scott has fronted the media after a game and said 'we got smashed in the contest.' Well, that is a coachable skill and the fact that at times we matched it with nominally superior sides suggests it's something that is well within the ability of the existing team to achieve. Absence of personnel plays a part but the fact our entire group frequently looked like it was getting physically bullied was a significant problem throughout the season.
- Continue to develop players. We've got a handful of players like Smedts, GHS, Murdoch and Walker who at times look like they can play and other times...don't. I don't expect a 100% strike rate but turning at least some of those guys into best 22 players is a necessity - not least because it demonstrates our systems can deal with marginal players, of who were likely to get a lot of given our list turnover.
If all of those things happen, results should to an extent look after themselves - and at minimum there'll be a sense that we're on the right track.