3 minute read

The 10 clubs who missed the AFL finals have a myriad of questions to answer before any climb up the ladder.

WHERE TO FOR THE AFL'S ALSO-RANS

HAWTHORN (9th, 11 wins, 11 losses)

A late charge papers over some cracks. Alastair Clarkson is the best coach in the business and will set his sights on adding scoring power - only five clubs scored less this season. Rumoured target Jonathon Patton could help but doubts linger after three knee reconstructions. Could the Hawks pitch for Adelaide's out-of-favour goalkicker Josh Jenkins? They're already bidding for off-contract Crow Hugh Greenwood. Clarkson's tactical nous led to defensive excellence - only top-four sides Geelong and Collingwood conceded fewer points -and Brownlow medallist Tom Mitchell will return next year from a broken leg which sidelined him all season to bolster the midfield.

PORT ADELAIDE (10th, 11 wins, 11 losses)

Same ladder finish as last year but, as coach Ken Hinkley notes, this result feels different, in a good way. Hinkley blooded a trio of impressive draftees in Connor Rozee, Xavier Duursma and Zak Butters, who played a combined 62 games and are top-end talents. Recruits Ryan Burton and Scott Lycett added class and novice ruck Peter Ladhams looks the goods - so good, it could lead veteran Paddy Ryder to consider options elsewhere. Could lose fleet-footed winger Karl Amon to a Melbourne club, and midfield speed is something Port aren't flushed with. Efficiency in attack is the main headache though as the Power kicked more behinds than goals for the first time since 2006.

ADELAIDE (11th, 10 wins, 12 losses)

A major rebuild looms for coach Don Pyke, whose Crows have missed the finals two years in a row after being beaten grand finalists in 2017. Pyke kept the faith in much of that 2017 batch of players and it hasn't been rewarded. Must find some speed to inject into a pedestrian midfield and fix a largely impotent attack which returned the third-least goals in a season in the club's history. Serious questions hover around the futures of forward Eddie Betts, onballer Bryce Gibbs and ruckman Sam Jacobs. They may offload key forward Jenkins and lose Greenwood, defender Alex Keath and backman Jake Kelly to rivals.

NORTH MELBOURNE (12th, 10 wins, 12 losses)

Rhyce Shaw delivered six wins in 11 games after replacing departed head coach Brad Scott. But can he now buck North's recent trend of failing to attract the elite talent they need to climb the ladder? The Kangaroos have long talked up their war chest of funds but are yet to catch a coveted big fish. North scored freely and Ben Brown remains among the most dangerous key forwards but defensively the Roos were frequently picked apart - only the bottom four clubs conceded more scores this season. A trade involving Mason Wood will gain marginal return.

FREMANTLE (13th, 9 wins, 13 losses)

Whoever replaces sacked coach Ross Lyon - highly-touted assistant and ex-Docker Justin Longmuir appears the frontrunner - will hope to beat an injury curse. The Dockers were cruelled by injuries to their spine with Jesse Hogan, Alex Pearce, Rory Lobb and Max Taberner all struck down. Their returns will make a substantial difference but the expected losses of stars Brad Hill, Stephen Hill and Ed Langdon will leave huge gaps to fill. The new coach will surely implement a more attacking game plan after another lean scoring season in which only wooden-spooners Gold Coast and 17th-placed Melbourne scored less.

ST KILDA (14th, 9 wins, 13 losses)

Yet to appoint a fulltime head coach after parting with Alan Richardson. Caretaker Brett Ratten wants the job and whoever gets the role faces losing four-time club champion and midfield linchpin Jack Steven, who reportedly wants a trade to Geelong, while ruckman Billy Longer (concussion) and Dylan Roberton (heart condition) appear unlikely to continue. The Saints are believed to lead a pack of clubs chasing the Dockers' Brad Hill, as well as being interested in Sydney's Zak Jones and Gold Coast pair Jack Martin and Ben King. They sorely need some proven additions after missing finals for the eighth-straight season.

SYDNEY (15th, 8 wins, 14 losses)

Missing the final for the first since 2009 and first time under coach John Longmire, the Swans remain overly reliant on the scoring output of 300-gamer Lance Franklin who managed just 10 games this season. They'll want to keep Franklin's attacking sidekick Tom Papley, who is being linked to Carlton and North Melbourne. Despite a promising group of younger players, much still rests on the influence of renowned stars Josh Kennedy, Luke Parker and Isaac Heeney while Longmire has expressed a desire to bring in some more older heads to complement his promising youngsters.

CARLTON (16th, 7 wins, 15 losses)

Coach David Teague, since replacing the axed Brendon Bolton, has delivered long-suffering Blues fans not only some wins but also genuine hope. Carlton, who haven't played finals since 2013, are believed to be close to luring GWS playmaker Stephen Coniglio which would be a massive coup to bolster the midfield. Supposedly also chasing Gold Coast's Martin and Sydney's Papley. Co-captain Sam Docherty will return from a year ruined by a knee injury to join his fellow skipper Patrick Cripps, who turned in another outstanding season.

MELBOURNE (17th, 5 wins, 17 losses)

The Demons have endured a season from hell, sliding from the preliminary final last year to winning a handful of games. Coach Simon Goodwin's woes are readily apparent: they rank second-last for points scored and second-worst for points conceded. A poor fitness base was a factor - 15 players had off-season surgery last year and prized recruit Steven May arrived in less than ideal shape. But the problems run deeper with a plodding midfield unable to capitalise on the excellence of ruckman Max Gawn. How the club approaches the trade period will be insightful: do they put their draft picks on the table in search of battle-hardy talent, or use them for yet another rebuild?

GOLD COAST (18th, 3 wins, 19 losses)

The Suns had three wins in the first month but it was a false dawn followed by 18 consecutive losses. The heavy nature of many defeats is alarming with eight of them by 69 or more points. Coach Stuart Dew will be hoping his club's appeal for priority draft picks will be heeded by AFL headquarters. But Dew is more concerned with recruiting some experienced players to balance his overly-young playing list. More Suns could be on the way out with Martin King and possibly Jack Lukosius believed to be among those considering options elsewhere.