Mick Malthouse explains how five teams threw away their finals hopes

FOR five teams, missing the finals this year was a bitter disappointment — particularly for Melbourne — and MICK MALTHOUSE explains how they threw away their top eight hopes.

Matthew Boyd and Bob Murphy played their last game for the Western Bulldogs, who were unable to defend their title. Picture: Mark Stewart

NINTH is no doubt the worst position for a club to finish the season.

Tantalisingly close to playing finals, you are instead left in the draft black hole, missing out whichever way you look at it.

It literally came down to the last five minutes of the year for Melbourne to realise its season was over, when West Coast fought off Adelaide for the final spot in the top eight.

Disappointing is probably an understatement.

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After promising so much the Demons shot themselves in the foot with undisciplined play, too many players suspended, and a game style that changed dramatically from running the ball to overusing it, too often during games.

Young players with giant egos didn’t help their cause much either.

When they were good, they were great. But when they were poor they were terrible.

Jack Watts and Melbourne’s season came to a disappointing end. Picture: Getty Images

Consistency levels were too broad, and the lows too far from the highs.

As we have a weekend off to prepare for the finals, it is also a good time to assess the seasons of those who missed out.

For some teams, the outcome was predictable. For others, it was a bitter disappointment.

Western Bulldogs have become the first premiership team since Hawthorn (2009) to miss the finals in the following season.

Their game plan and performance last year was manic.

The minds and bodies of the players couldn’t go through that same pain so soon, again.

The Dogs’ game structure — pressuring the ball carrier and flooding back to assist the backs; mass numbers at stoppages to deny the opposition the ball; and a mad run forward to present multiple scoring opportunities — was so physically and mentally demanding that it was always going to be hard to back up, particularly in the second half of the season.

But I have no doubt the Bulldogs’ appetite will return.

The Saints are just so disappointing. They seem to have all the right ingredients required in a finals team — solid back, middle and forward — and quick.

The Saints may have missed the finals by percentage but still looked a fair way off being a finals team. Picture: George Salpigtidis

But they lacked consistency and killer instinct when it was required to complete the task.

As much as the Saints missed the finals only by percentage, it seemed like more by the end when they played like a shell of a finals side.

Congratulations to Nick Riewoldt on a wonderful career. But his departure will force St Kilda to adjust its game structure.

At times this season the forward line looked incoherent, but with more space Tim Membrey and Josh Bruce should flourish.

Early in the year I had either Hawthorn or Sydney to miss the eight. At one point it looked like both would miss.

While Sydney staged a remarkable turnaround, Hawthorn supporters shouldn’t be too disappointed because the Hawks showed they will soon be a force again.

They have quality young players who will be better for another year’s experience, and still have a game style to trouble the best.

After a string of finals appearances the Hawks probably needed a breather, and it won’t harm their future chances.

Collingwood again delivered little. Picture: Getty Images

Collingwood has promised so much over the past three or four years, with recently departed CEO Gary Pert even suggesting it would win a premiership in that time.

The Pies finished with a high percentage but nowhere near enough wins.

They consistently broke down going forward which left their backs exposed, and they were unable to exit the backline with any run or clear possession.

And it is still the older statesmen consistently doing the job for them — Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom, Ben Reid, Daniel Wells (when he was available) and a resurrected Lynden Dunn.

It has been an interesting season. Tight, unpredictable, and exciting.

Adding to that, rarely have we seen so many greats of the game retire at once. The game will be poorer next year without Nick Riewoldt, Luke Hodge, Josh Gibson, Matthew Priddis, Bob Murphy, Matthew Boyd, Jobe Watson, James Kelly, Sam Mitchell and Steve Johnson.

But football, like time, moves on and it won’t take long for a new set of dynamic players to step up and take their places.

In the meantime we have another finals campaign to get excited about.

If we thought the home-and- away season was tough, now it’s anyone’s game. Bring it on.