I suspect that our approach to controlling the ball means that we are relatively easy to shut down. And given we have little in the way of run and carry we rely on a few very talented players to make the game plan work. As discussed above we have injuries etc. But, this year the sum has been less the parts. That is poor and maybe is just injuries and bad luck. Or maybe it is deeper, and our game plan has been worked out and other teams can set up to tear us apart. To some extent I see us in 2016 as a clunky, stop start, team. Possibly that is because out set up allows teams time to set up defensively. Once we are worked out, then our style works against us. Just an opinion.
I dont think our gameplan can be shutdown because its been worked out, instead we have too many slow players and players unwilling to run and work for each other. We have alot of slower inside mids (Dusty, Cotch, Conca, Vlas, Miles, Grigg) in our team and we play a gameplan suited to fast outside skilled kickers, no wonder they get confused and lose confidence easily. When we work hard enough it can work, but with our better wins over the last few years how much of that could be contributed to our opp simply having a bad game or taking us too lightly.
Hawthorn controls the ball by foot better than anyone, and its because of their workrate and personnel imo. Alot their team was picked lower than 50 in the draft, is there some kind of moneyball going on there? A certain kind of player perhaps...not sure.