Nothing of the above happened this year did it Ralphie?Ralphie said:In 2009 we had the Brett Stewart season launch debacle. It badly affected the whole playing group, but particularly Gifty. We finished 5th and then embarrassed ourselves in Melbourne in week one of the finals (I was there & copped plenty from the scum fans). The main cause for that loss was the impact on the playing group of Glen Hall's wife losing their baby the day before the game. We would have had a 2nd bite except for the ability of St George to choke that year. We did remarkably well considering the events of 2009.
In 2010 we were ravaged by injuries and suspensions and the team we fielded against St George in week one of the finals was little more than a reserve grade team.
Last year T-rex was suspended or out with injury, no Hoppa jnr and enormous salary cap pressure.
We bought 4 or 5 discards and Toovey's turned them into 1st graders.
This year no King, Galavoa gone mid-season, Glenn Stewart out for first 7 weeks and Brett in and out all season along with suspension to Fa'aoso and injuries.
So using your same analogy I think Toovey has done an excellent job to finish 4th.