... Smith, Tuohy, Henderson, Scott Selwood, and most of all, Ablett. (I'd throw Stanley, HMac and Rivers into that, too.)
Dangerfield, I think, was in a different category - because, simply put, you don't say no to a once-in-a-generation player like that. Our mistake was thinking that adding Dangerfield to a list which finished 10th was enough to put us within striking distance of a flag. We did make prelims two years running - but the results were flattering in both years, when almost all the tight games fell our way.
This year was probably a better indication of our ability.
Trading our way out of the draft - Stanley for p21 is the obvious favourite, but Henderson for a late R1 and Smith for two middling picks are other examples - was, in retrospect, a bad move given the success we've had there before. Even picking up Ablett - in return for a few pick swaps - was foolish, given that the evidence was there that we were a LONG way off Richmond.
The lack of continuity that we have had for our fringe players has been damning. Certain players like Brown, Cunico, Thurlow, Vardy, Horlin-Smith and the like haven't had a concerted run at it, because we haven't been keen to withstand the short-term pain after a bad month. It's easy to point at them and say they obviously aren't good enough - but significant faith was never shown in them, either.
I know it's easier to say in retrospect, because hindsight is perfect, but we were never close enough to a flag at the end of 2015 to justify the quick solution - and it's really hurt the club now.
Dangerfield, I think, was in a different category - because, simply put, you don't say no to a once-in-a-generation player like that. Our mistake was thinking that adding Dangerfield to a list which finished 10th was enough to put us within striking distance of a flag. We did make prelims two years running - but the results were flattering in both years, when almost all the tight games fell our way.
This year was probably a better indication of our ability.
Trading our way out of the draft - Stanley for p21 is the obvious favourite, but Henderson for a late R1 and Smith for two middling picks are other examples - was, in retrospect, a bad move given the success we've had there before. Even picking up Ablett - in return for a few pick swaps - was foolish, given that the evidence was there that we were a LONG way off Richmond.
The lack of continuity that we have had for our fringe players has been damning. Certain players like Brown, Cunico, Thurlow, Vardy, Horlin-Smith and the like haven't had a concerted run at it, because we haven't been keen to withstand the short-term pain after a bad month. It's easy to point at them and say they obviously aren't good enough - but significant faith was never shown in them, either.
I know it's easier to say in retrospect, because hindsight is perfect, but we were never close enough to a flag at the end of 2015 to justify the quick solution - and it's really hurt the club now.