Max Gawn leads Melbourne off Cazaly’s Stadium in Cairns after the Demons’ critical loss to Fremantle. Photo: GETTY IMAGES

As eight teams begin their preparations for this year’s finals series, season 2020 has come to an abrupt end for 10 others.

With a three-month shutdown, no reserves competitions, most teams living in hubs for majority of the season, teams enduring regular four-to-five-day breaks between games, and the inability to train together properly thrown in for good measure, this season will certainly be looked back on by future generations as one out of the box.

But why did some clubs thrive in these unprecedented conditions while others fell by the wayside? We run the rule over the also-rans and identify where they need to improve to get back on track next year.

MELBOURNE
Position: 9th
Win-loss: 9-8 (107.8)

What went wrong: Unfortunately for Melbourne, while it did a lot right this year, its mental fragility and lack of toughness – which have come to define it for over a decade (apart from the 2018 season) – reared their ugly head at different stages of the season, including the most crucial time late in the campaign. Heading into its Cairns double-header sitting in eighth spot and with its finals destiny in its own hands, Melbourne lost to Sydney (16th at the time) and Fremantle (14th) – two inexcusable performances which ultimately proved to be a blow too big from which to recover.

What is needed: The forward line needs some bolstering. Sam Weideman and the undersized Bayley Fritsch were serviceable as targets in attack in 2020, but with their team ranked 11th for scores per inside 50, they need help. And with speculation that Tom McDonald might be seeking greener pastures, it might have to come via the free agency/trade period. There’s also a bit of a sameness about the Demons’ midfield – it’s packed with plenty of talented, ball-seeking, contested bulls, but probably lacks some pace on the outside. On differentials, they were ranked 13th for disposals, 16th for uncontested possessions and 17th for tackles this year.

GWS
Position: 10th
Win-loss: 8-9 (95.6)

What went wrong: This truly was an annus horribilis. After so many years of finals success, there appeared to be a real disconnect between players and coaches in 2020. The performances became so tepid towards the end of the season, with everything still to play for, that it looked like a serious fracturing at the club had occurred. It looked almost as if the players didn’t care if they made the finals or not. But if that’s the case, they had better put their differences aside quickly, because coach Leon Cameron isn’t going anywhere soon, having just re-signed for another two years. Things became so dire that first-year captain Stephen Coniglio was dropped ahead of the crunch clash against Melbourne a couple of weeks ago. They were so disjointed in 2020, with so many star players below their best, it made one wonder how they made it to the grand final last year.

What is needed: This might be an unpopular opinion, but this writer believes attitude and mindset, not talent, were the main reasons behind the Giants’ dramatic fall from grace. Season 2020 could be the “reset year” GWS needed to launch itself at a flag, similar to Geelong in 2006 and Richmond in 2016. While on paper the list still looks relatively healthy, the glaring hole is the ruck stocks. Sam Jacobs has retired and Shane Mumford surely will follow suit. Someone like Braydon Preuss would be a perfect fit if they can lure him away from the Demons. With Heath Shaw and Phil Davis nearing the ends of their careers, the renovation of the backline is something GWS will have to focus on, too.

CARLTON
Position: 11th
Win-loss: 7-10 (94.3)

 

What went wrong: Improvement was shown this year, but on too many occasions the Blues let themselves down with prolonged lapses during games which allowed their opponents to get a run-on and pile on many goals in a row – often taking the game away from them. Losses to Adelaide, Hawthorn and GWS were particularly galling. Their delivery and ball use in attack was sub-standard this season as they finished 15th in the competition for goals per inside 50 despite ranking fourth for entries. Their propensity for switching off and not trying as hard as they should is reflected by the fact that on differentials, they ranked 12th for disposals in 2020, but 11th for tackles. It’s an imbalance that coach David Teague will need to work on over the summer. Oh, and Charlie Curnow being unavailable all season didn’t help, either.

What is needed: Patrick Cripps is still crying out for help in the middle of the ground, and while he’s starting to get regular assistance from second-year star Sam Walsh, it’s still not enough. The load continues to be so heavy for the Carlton co-captain that you really do worry about his longevity. An extra quality defender wouldn’t go astray, either, which is probably why Carlton is trying so hard to recruit GWS star Zac Williams, who can also help out in the midfield.

FREMANTLE
Position: 12th
Win-loss: 7-10 (93.7)

What went wrong: The Dockers’ 0-4 start to the year certainly didn’t help. If they were able to convert two of their three close losses in that period against Essendon, Brisbane and Gold Coast into wins (not to mention the after-the-siren horror show against Carlton), then they might be preparing for a finals campaign. The unavailability of key defensive trio Alex Pearce, Joel Hamling and Griffin Logue, with a combined five games between them, was initially a big obstacle, but Luke Ryan and Brennan Cox really rose to the challenge. But scoring remains a big concern – the Dockers had the third-worst offence in the AFL this year, managing just 51 points per game.

What is needed: Matthew Taberner aside, some serious firepower is still required up forward. Taberner and Michael Walters were the only Dockers who played more than three games this year to average more than a goal per game. And while Freo’s superb defensive structures and mechanisms allowed it to get away with winning games while not troubling the scorers too often, if they want to go to the next level, they will need a more rounded game. Maybe Jesse Hogan, with a full pre-season and playing regularly, is the answer. But if he isn’t, the Dockers have to search for one.

ESSENDON
Position: 13th
Win-loss: 6-10-1 (79.2)

What went wrong: The connection between the midfielders and forwards was utterly shambolic for most of the season, and even when the ball did go inside 50, the forward line was such a mess and lacking in genuine star power the opposition got let off the hook most of the time anyway and was able to not only exit defensive 50 with ease, but also transition the ball to attack in quick time. Even Essendon’s backline, the one reliable pillar of the team for much of the past two decades, looked disorganised at times this season. If it wasn’t for the likes of Jordan Ridley, Adam Saad and Michael Hurley, things would have been really grim. And a confusing game plan which the players struggled to really embrace ensured the Bombers were lambs to the slaughter against the best teams. On top of all that, Patrick Ambrose (missed 17 games), captain Dyson Heppell (14), Joe Daniher (13), Orazio Fantasia (12), James Stewart (seven), Jake Stringer (seven) and David Zaharakis (seven) missed huge chunks of the year due to injury.

What is needed: Essendon’s midfield might look good on paper, but save for maybe Zach Merrett and Heppell when he’s fit, there’s an alarming lack of A-graders in there. The Bombers are desperate for some genuine quality on-ballers – ones that are preferably big-bodied, too, because they look too small at the coal face. If Daniher and Fantasia leave, with Shaun McKernan and Mitch Brown having already departed in consecutive post-seasons, then Essendon’s forward line is going to look very threadbare. They badly need a genuine focal target or two in attack to join Stewart, who looks to be nearing his best form again.

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GOLD COAST
Position: 14th
Win-loss: 5-11-1 (90.6)

What went wrong: It was a case of Groundhog Day on two fronts for the Suns. Firstly, they got their season off to a flyer, like they had done the previous four seasons, by shooting out to a 3-1 start. Secondly, their year got derailed when their best player Matt Rowell injured his shoulder – kind of like what happened in 2014 when their then-captain Gary Ablett injured his shoulder. And they ended up winning just one of their last 10 games to fall in a heap. If they want to climb up the ladder, they’ll have to do better than being ranked 10th for inside 50s and 11th for goals per inside 50. Too often the Suns let their opponents do as they please, finishing 15th for uncontested marks and last for uncontested disposals on differentials.

What is needed: The Suns have an emerging backline, but even so, Sam Collins, Jack Lukosius and Charlie Ballard could probably do with extra experience down there, which is why Adelaide grand final player Rory Atkins would be a welcome addition. The Suns conceded an average 23 more disposals to their opponent per game, the third worst figure in the comp, so Rowell’s return from injury will go some way to help addressing that. Ben King might only be young, but already he is pulling his weight up forward, kicking 24 goals and finishing in the top 10 for marks inside 50. But given the Suns were second last for marks inside 50, he clearly needs help.

HAWTHORN
Position: 15th
Win-loss: 5-12 (84.1)

What went wrong: After starting the year in such promising fashion at 3-1, the Hawks capitulated to lose 11 of their next 12 games and slump to their worst finish to a year since 2004. In fact, they became one of the easiest teams to play against with seven of their 12 losses by more than five goals. It’s no surprise that they finished up the third worst defensive team with just North Melbourne and Adelaide below them. When you’re ranked last for disposals and contested possessions, as well as 13th for marks on differentials, it makes it very tough to win games of footy – possessing the ball is kind of important! The loss of arguably their best player James Sicily to an ACL injury added salt to the wound.

What is needed: Hawthorn’s midfield is in desperate need of rejuvenation. Tom Mitchell, Jaeger O’Meara, Tom Scully and James Worpel are getting by more on their reputations than their actual ability these days, and while Mitchell might have needed a year to get used to the rigours of AFL footy again after breaking his leg in early 2019, the jury is out on the other three. In fact, the Hawks’ best 22 in general needs a big injection of youth. Coach Alastair Clarkson has to keep playing the kids if he wants his team out of its hole sooner rather than later. The next generation of key defenders has to start coming through, too, because James Frawley won’t be around forever, and Ben Stratton has retired. Same goes for the forward line – how much longer can Jack Gunston and Luke Breust keep leading the way?

SYDNEY
Position: 16th
Win-loss: 5-12 (82.6)

What went wrong: The Swans were one of the sides hit hardest by injury, with Lance Franklin (missed 17 games), Sam Naismith (15), George Hewett (11), Isaac Heeney (11), Lewis Melican (eight), Sam Reid (seven), Dane Rampe (six) and Josh Kennedy (six) sidelined for large portions of the season. And despite the plucky efforts of the largely younger sides that were put out every week, the flow-on effect meant the Swans had the fourth-worst attack in the competition, with Tom Papley and Will Hayward the only players to kick more than nine goals. They were also ranked third-last for scores per inside 50.

What is needed: The Swans are desperate for more targets in attack, especially tall ones, because it’s not healthy to be so overly-reliant on a small forward like Tom Papley, as good as he is. So the returns of Franklin and Heeney, as well as the potential recruitment of Joe Daniher, would go some way to alleviating that. And it’s an odd thing to say about a Sydney team, but more grunt is needed in the midfield, because being ranked second-last for contested possessions and fourth-last for clearances on differentials is very un-Swans-like.

NORTH MELBOURNE
Position: 17th
Win-loss: 3-14 (71.2)

What went wrong: The Kangaroos were also hit very hard by injuries, but that doesn’t excuse the alarming lack of effort, care, discipline, focus and skill that defined their dreadful season. When Rhyce Shaw took over as caretaker last year, you knew what to expect from his North Melbourne team – it brought a ferocious, relentless, uncompromising attack on the ball and the man and became one of the hardest teams to play against. Fast forward to 2020 and all of that evaporated, leaving an empty blue-and-white husk, which finished up losing 14 of its last 15 games. Some of their efforts this year were utterly putrid. Admittedly, their cause wasn’t helped by Ben Jacobs (missing 17 games), Kayne Turner (17), Taylor Garner (15), Ben Cunnington (14), Tarryn Thomas (11), Jack Ziebell (nine) and Ben Brown (eight) missing so much footy.

What is needed: A massive list overhaul to be brutally honest, because based on the messaging surrounding Shaw’s appointment as full-time coach, and again his address at North Melbourne’s pre-season launch, clearly the club thought it was far more advanced in its pursuit of a premiership than it actually is. To their credit, the Kangaroos recognised this and wasted little time as they delisted 11 players soon after their final game against West Coast. It’s unlikely that the cuts are going to stop there, either. Brown and Shaun Higgins are rumoured to be leaving as well, so seismic change is coming to Arden Street.

ADELAIDE
Position: 18th
Win-loss: 3-14 (64.4)

What went wrong: Almost everything. Save for the final month or so, when they managed to string three wins together, the Crows were quite appalling for most of the season. They lost their first 13 games of the year (a club record), which extended their overall losing streak to 16 games (also a club record). For a while it looked like rookie coach Matthew Nicks might go through the year winless, but luckily for him, things finally started to click for his team very late, as it accounted for Hawthorn, GWS and Carlton. But for most of the year, the Crows’ skill level and decision-making was simply atrocious. Eight of their 14 losses were by 28 points or more, and they finished the year with the worst attack and the worst defence. A nightmare.

What is needed: A lot. Clearly some reinforcements up forward are desperately required, because Taylor Walker doesn’t have long to go in his career – that’s why the development of the likes of Elliott Himmelberg, Darcy Fogarty and Shane McAdam is so important. It’s no surprise Adelaide was ranked last for marks inside 50 this year. The midfield needs reinforcements desperately, especially if Brad Crouch decides to leave, because on differentials in 2020 the Crows were ranked 16th for disposals, 16th for contested possessions, last for clearances and last for tackles – that’s just uncompetitive.