I’ve endured two grand final losses in my time and each resulted in very different outcomes in the preparations for the following year.
In 2002, a narrow nine-point loss to the Lions had everyone devastated at having come so close, but it served as an incentive for the following year.
The off-season was full of confidence that the team was on the right track and that our best was good enough.
The existing structure and game plan was reinforced with a positive attitude and a belief, as was the playing list assembled at the time.
Improvement came in 2003, qualifying for the grand final once again, only to be well beaten, again by the Lions, this time to the tune of 50 points. It felt like 100.
That off-season was far from one of confidence and being buoyant. Doubt and mistrust were the inescapable result of that performance and it proved a difficult hurdle to overcome for all. Everything and everyone was questioned, as should have been the case, but the answers proved hard to find. No matter the quality or otherwise of our opposition, we beat ourselves for a season or so after that.
You see, success in this game isn’t always about the opponent that you play on any given weekend. Teams can do everything right and lose. They can also do everything wrong and win. A dominant team can win simply because the opposition don’t think they can.
The talented Power need to have dealt with the last game they played in 2007.
Their ability and, specifically, that of coach Mark Williams, to put that result behind them will dictate their future as much as any physical or skills training they have undertaken in the past four months.
We won’t have to wait long to find out either as the Power will face their most recent conquerors in the season-opener on Easter Thursday.
The Kangaroos will have to face similar demons after two big finals losses ended their impressive season.
Across all the lists there are differentials in class and talent; age and experience; strength and endurance; but the beauty of our game is that in any given season, a team can find that synergy and challenge the status quo.
For some clubs, the gap between where they are and where they need to be will be too large for 2008, however the quest for continual improvement and to be the best, most competitive team you can be, as often as you can, is the common aim.
I fully believe that any team that can maximise its playing talent through a unified and committed adherence to a game plan will play finals. Invariably, five or six clubs shoot themselves in the foot every year, failing to find the balance that a successful campaign requires.
For every club in 2008, Geelong is the yardstick. Make no mistake, not only will the Cats be hunted every game they play this season, but they have been stalked, dissected and analysed in every respect since they held the cup aloft on that last day of September 2007.
Given their dominance last year, the Cats may need only to maintain their 2007 level to stay in the upper echelon.
But the wolves are at the door.
If the Cats of 2008 “bleed’’ like Leigh Matthews’ Lions proved the Essendon team of 2001 bled, there will be teams ready to step over them to realise their premiership dreams.
The past five months have seen clubs review all areas of their football departments to find the catalyst for their best football.
It is a never-ending process.
Coaching structures, culture, recruiting, list composition, list management, game plan, player development, coaching styles, psychology, conditioning programs, recovery programs, player welfare, opposition analysis and IT infrastructure.
Add to this the constant battle to find the next successful game plan to outwit, outsmart and outplay each and all challengers. It is all-consuming.
For Essendon, Melbourne, Fremantle and Carlton, the structure of the coaching department has been the first port of call.
With a new coach comes a new game plan and a fresh start. Some will thrive and some will take time to develop. The upside can be great, but there is always a little bit of turbulence along the way.
In this pre-season, we have seen evidence of a more daring Essendon side with a young coach at the helm. Matthew Knights’ list looks well drilled and full of verve, but the season is long and there are many hurdles to overcome.
Whether Knights’ plan results in a consolidated improvement is yet to be seen.
When Mick Malthouse came to Collingwood in 2000, the Magpies won the first five games and lost the next nine. When Ross Lyon began at the Saints, they won just four of their first 11 but then settled with a much-improved second half.
There is no blueprint on how a new coach will influence a team, so expect the unexpected.
On the Saints, they have poached the Swans’ fitness co-ordinator in an endeavour to turn around the worst AFL injury record of recent years. This may just be their area of greatest improvement and they need their best to stand up.
For West Coast, the off-season has seen much damage control, with a focus on the culture of the club and the development of a long-term focus on the betterment of the playing group on and off the field.
Part of this has been a leadership focus to fill the void left by Chris Judd and Ben Cousins, and new leaders have emerged.
Collingwood, Hawthorn, Carlton and Adelaide have all found new leaders as well.
This off-season, Adelaide, accused of over-training players during last year’s break, has trained harder than previously; the Crows are showing a belief in their plan and the strength of their convictions.
From the outside, we’ll never be able to assess the respective areas of a football club. All we see is the product at the end of the process and the win and loss ratio that is invariably the measure that matters.
Right now, all teams are equal, on the starting line and ready to roll.
That fact alone continues to inspire and excite us – all because of the endless possibilities every new season brings.
The beauty of this game is its unpredictability and any team in any given year is capable of producing something special. Geelong did in ’07 after missing the finals in 2006.
Which team will it be in 2008? The journey is about to begin.
