Keep a lid on things!
I have no doubt the club, from management down to the playing group, got ahead of themselves over the preseason and then once things starting going awry they didn't handle the pressure! This year keep expectations in house and bring back the "never give up" mantra!
Finals in 2013 and 2014 were the result of hard work, toughness and a genuine desire to win and give 100% no matter what. This year we have rarely given 100%, especially when teams have been able to shut us down for extended periods within a match. There has been a notable lack of desire among the playing group this year. The ultimate front runners!
Whether we need to make some tough list management calls is hard to say from the outside but I'd be looking at the player's who seem to go missing when the going gets tough the most often (which this year is 80% of our list!). Bringing in Dixon would also be an excellent addition. But I still think the talent is there and most of our issues this year have been mental!
A review of the leadership group is also needed. I was thinking of criticising Boak for his lack of leadership on the weekend but then had a look at the other official 'leaders' and realised how poorly they have served us this year: Lobbe, Ebert, Jonas, Trengove, Hartlett, Wines. So you have Wines injured, Jonas dropped and four guys who have been significantly down on past form for most of the year! In a season when we needed our 'leaders' to stand up more than ever, these are the guys who have really let us down the most. I'd say Boak, Wines and maybe Trengove are the only one's who could possibly stay on this list next year. No point worrying about the performance of fringe players like Young, Moore, S Gray, etc when you have such a massive leadership void!