Mark: C
Thoughts:
Might seem harsh to give them a C in comparison to other sides, but when you look at the year as a whole, missing finals equaled a failure to the Morningside Football Club. Sitting on the sidelines for the last month of footy hurt them; they are a proud club who didn’t except to finish sixth. Heading into the last game of the home and away season destiny was in their hands, so to not get over the line against a team out of finals contention is what hurt the most. They showed throughout the year why they are one of the most respected and feared clubs in Queensland, but it wasn’t a year they will be celebrating.
The highlights:
The year started off perfectly with five wins from the first five games. That included a win over Labrador for the first time since 2014. There were a couple of ‘Morningside’ like wins along the way with a 123-point win over UQ in round 15 and 97-point win over Sandgate in round 9. Two wins in two starts over the Western Magpies was also a real positive, considering how far the Maggies went.
The lowlights:
The biggest is round 18. The equation for them heading in was simple; you win, you play finals footy. Unfortunately for them, nothing clicked. They ended up losing by 23-points, which closed the curtains on an up-and-down 2016. The period of time that hurt them the most was between rounds 12 and 14. With a few missing overseas and a couple more on the injury list, the Panthers lost three on the trot to slip outside the five.
What they will take from 2016:
Despite missing the finals, it’s not panic stations. When they had a full list they were still one of the teams to beat. The thing they should take from it all is that a few tweaks need to be made, but the wheel doesn’t need to be re-invented.
The stars:
Nathan Kinch refuses to age, Matt Logan came back to footy with an immediate impact, Alastair Nash shouldered a heap of the load in the middle of the year, Mollison was one of the best tap ruckman in the competition, and Adam Mueller rediscovered his form at centre-half back.
Who emerged?
Ben Bisset was the one who rocketed onto the scene late in the piece. The way he flies for the ball in the air, but can then pick it up off his boot laces in the forward line means he will be a key post at Jack Esplen Oval for many years. Campbell Wearne is waiting in the wings for a midfield spot when it pops up, and Josh Threapleton played some very handy footy in the guts this year. All have showed signs of being long-term players at the footy club.
What they need for 2017:
A full list during the middle of the year would be handy, but on the recruit front, a speedy mid who can cut gams open by foot should be ticket item number 1. With Brad Dale looking set to spend the majority of this year at Aspley, a full back that is tall but agile would also be nice.
By Andrew Wiles
Follow @andrewjwiles
