Finals isn't always a happy time for footy fans.
While eight clubs will have a shot at securing the game's ultimate glory, 10 others will be coming to terms with the fact that a place in September isn't on the agenda for 2018.
For some, it was by the narrowest of margins... for others, the end of the year couldn't have come quick enough.
Whichever side of the fence you're on, the latest edition of The Rushed Behind Report Cards will have it all, so make sure to see where your team - and your fellow unfortunate rivals - ranked in our assessment.
As always let us know what you think!
ADELAIDE
By Zac Standish
It was a season to forget for Adelaide, who after falling short in the big dance last year, found itself outside of the top-eight at the conclusion of the season.
Despite their 12th placed finish, the Crows were able to finish with a positive win/loss record (12-10), which will instil supporters with optimism looking forward to 2019.
Five wins from their last seven games - inclusive of a 104-point annihilation of Carlton - was indicative of their improvement as the year went on, yet a place in September wasn't on the cards.
Things simply did not go right for Don Pyke's men at all in 2018, with setback after setback reducing the club's chances of success as their season progressed.
Reports of the group being unfit upon their return to pre-season training was just the start of several negative stories surrounding the club, with the controversial pre-season camp, persistent injuries to star players and departure of Mitch McGovern adding fuel to the fire.
It seemed as if Adelaide could not catch a break, and the on-field situation bore no difference.
On the park, the Crows were below their damaging best for the vast majority of the season, as injuries prevented the team from gelling effectively.
This was particularly evident through the forward line, who lacked the efficiency and spark that made them so damaging over the past three seasons.
Despite all the negatives which ultimately marred their entire year, Adelaide supporters can still find a number of positives from the 2018 season.
With Jake Lever departing at the end of last season, youngster Tom Doedee rose from the clouds to produce a truly stellar debut season and cover that third key defensive role perfectly.
Don Pyke will also be buoyed by the development of an exciting half-back line, with two-time All Australian, Rory Laird, leading the likes of exciting forward-turned-defender Wayne Milera, the returning Brodie Smith and rejuvenated Paul Seedsman.
Josh Jenkins also toiled hard for the majority of the season, with 46 goals adequate reward for the consistent full forward.
Adelaide were also able to blood a number of youngsters throughout the season, with the likes of Lachlan Murphy, Darcy Fogarty, Jordan Gallucci and Myles Poholke all showing glimpses throughout the course of the year.
In a tough season for the club, the major highlight came in Round 5, as an undermanned outfit overcame all the odds to defeat Sydney on a Friday night at the SCG.
The biggest low-light in an on-field sense came in a Round 9 trip to Alice Springs, where the previously 5-3 Crows were destroyed by a rampant Melbourne side by 91 points, thus prompting a four-game losing streak and the team losing contact with the top eight.
All in all, it was a challenging year for Adelaide who failed to live up to its lofty expectations.
But with three selections in the top 20 at the upcoming draft and a host of young stars developing strongly, supporters can look forward to a much-improved 2019.
BRISBANE
By Nick D'Urbano
For the plucky Brisbane Lions, 2018 marks a season which leaves them with plenty of optimism for the future, despite the indifferent times and less than stellar record throughout the season.
An extremely slow start to the season, which saw them reach figures of at 0-8, set them on the back-foot and effectively ended the year before it ever really started, before a spirited flurry towards the back-end of 2018 injected belief into the Lions' camp.
Tough losses to St Kilda, Melbourne, Port Adelaide, Gold Coast, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs summed up their start of the season of being so close, but yet so far, with three of the aforementioned games determined by less than 10 points.
This inability to hold on for four quarters, accompanied by the poor start to the season from Dayne Zorko and much of their young corps, saw their early season demise capped off with a 93-point humbling at the MCG by Richmond, where the visitors only kicked the two goals.
However, their luck began to change with a spirited win at home against eventual top-four side Hawthorn at the 'Gabba, yet it would be another month and a half for their next victory against the Dockers in Perth.
Two wins on the trot soon followed against the Blues and Hawks in Tasmania, before gallant defeats to Adelaide, North Melbourne and Collingwood rounded off the season.
Eventually, the Lions finished the season 5-17 but were able to show that their form on the field was much better than their record suggested.
A total of 12 of their 17 losses were decided by less than five goals, with only some polish from their younger players lacking in pressure moments.
The injury to boom recruit, Charlie Cameron was a massive dampener for the Lions who missed his flair up forward, yet can look forward to his formidable partnership with the likes of Lewis Taylor, Allen Christensen and Cam Rayner in the seasons to come.
The form of Dayne Beams, the end-of-season run from Dayne Zorko and the breakout year for young defender, Harris Andrews, were the highlights for the Lions.
With youngsters Rayner, Alex Witherden, Hugh McCluggage, Jarrod Berry and Eric Hipwood giving fans a lot to look forward to, who's to say next year won't see Brisbane make a genuine push for the top-eight?
CARLTON
By Jack Alfonso
In a year that produced only two wins, positives for Carlton were scarce.
Defeating an (at the time) woeful Essendon side still getting used to the influx of new players, and rolling a Gold Coast outfit that has never really gotten running since its inception are the only things to ride home about.
Their win against the Suns and a brave showing against the Western Bulldogs aside, Carlton's last six matches have been nothing short of dismal - three losses of over 50 points to Hawthorn, Greater Western Sydney and Adelaide all at home will pay testimony to that.
In terms of pulling positives from their disheartening end to the year, Carlton fans will be clutching at straws, however, in such dark times for the club, any ray of light will be desperately sought after and clung to once found.
For the Blues, the continual standout performances of Patrick Cripps, who did his chances of winning (an unlikely) Brownlow Medal no harm thanks to his starring roles in all matches.
Additionally, a vibrant display from a young team finally showcasing some of its potential against both the Suns and the Bulldogs will have left Carlton fans with at least some image of what the future looks like, with the likes of Paddy Dow, Harry McKay and Lochie O'Brien all showcasing their obvious potential in fleeting moments.
The young stars, those who the fans and coaching staff place such faith in, showed glimpses of their apparent potential, however they are still learning, and learning in one of the harshest environments.
Carlton will be desperately seeking some A-grade talent who can arrive at the club and make an immediate impact , and it will be interesting to see what the club does with its No. 1 draft pick.
Despite a resounding wooden soon, the Blues have a returning Sam Docherty, another season of Kade Simpson and the No. 1 draft pick - should they retain it - to look forward to in the off-season.
All three will make a huge difference, and for the sake of Carlton supporters and one of Victoria's most prestigious and famous clubs, the Blues can begin an upward trajectory.
ESSENDON
By Nick D'Urbano and Zac Standish
A year of what could have been for Essendon, whose up-and-down season saw them miss the finals in Season 2018, despite an incredible run of form in the second half of the year.
After an off-season with plenty of promise including the signings of Jake Stringer, Devon Smith and Adam Saad, the Bombers' season got off to a very poor start.
Spurring wins over Adelaide and Port Adelaide were marred by disappointing losses to Fremantle and the Western Bulldogs, before a thrashing on Anzac Day by Collingwood.
To top it off, they were defeated by Carlton three weeks later and saw their side languishing at 2-6 and their hopes of a top-eight finish seemingly dashed.
By round eight, the Bombers were in a state of crisis as assistant coach Mark Neeld was shown the door, a number of key players were underperforming, and star forward Joe Daniher had been struck down with a season ending groin injury.
After the initial hiccup, however the Bombers' fortunes turned entirely, ending the season 10-4 from that stage on and put up an incredibly late fight for finals football.
Wins over Geelong and Greater Western Sydney got them back on track, before victories against West Coast and North Melbourne got them within touching distance of the top-eight.
However, their loss against the Magpies for the second time proved costly, as they lost a final quarter lead which eventuated in being a key reason as to why they missed their chance at a September apperance.
A late season surge saw them defeat Sydney at Etihad Stadium, but close losses to top-four fancies Hawthorn and Richmond ended any hope of finals football, as they missed the eight by a game and percentage.
From an individual perspective, Devon Smith was phenomenal all season, with his grunt, tackling pressure and class an excellent addition to the Bombers' midfield.
Connor McKenna also came of age in 2018, with his pace and spark off half-back adding to the team's attacking prowess.
The form of key players such as Smith, Zach Merrett and Dyson Heppell helped to lead the way for John Worsfold’s men, but injuries to key forwards Joe Daniher and Shaun McKernan left a big hole in the Bombers' attack.
With small forward Orazio Fantasia similarly struggling with a recurring hamstring injury and James Stewart out of favour, Essendon's attack was nowhere near its threatening potential.
That being said, an inside midfielder will be high on the off-season shopping list, with Dylan Shiel being the number one target.
Finding replacement for the outgoing Brendon Goddard could be an option, but with in-house talent consisting of Jordan Ridley, Martin Gleeson and Aaron Francis, it's more than likely someone of Shiel's calibre will be of utmost importance.
Overall, despite their poor start, the Bombers will be content with how they finished off the year and confident that the return of Daniher will see them return to September action next year.
FREMANTLE
By Conor Morrissey
This year saw Fremantle’s third straight finish outside the top-eight, after ending 2015 on top of the ladder.
At times they played good football, and there are quite a few positives to take from 2018, but the season was dogged by misfortune.
They said goodbye to two servants of the club, Michael Johnson and Danyle Pearce, as they continue to turn over their playing list, leaving them with just eight of their 2013 Grand Final team.
The Dockers were mostly competitive to start the season, and were 20 points in front of West Coast at quarter-time in Round 6, when Michael Walters injured his leg.
A win there would have seen the Dockers start with a handsome tally of 4-2.
However, their form dropped away badly in the second half of the season, winning just two of their nine games after the bye, against Carlton and Port Adelaide.
Once again, they struggled to put a score on the board, kicking nine goals or less in 11 games this season.
Fremantle only won one of those games.
The Dockers also lost all 10 of their matches against the eventual finalists, although they can perhaps count themselves unlucky on that front, seeing Essendon, Adelaide and Port Adelaide, who they defeated, all just missed out.
Geelong held them to just three goals as they handed them an ugly 133-point thrashing, while Richmond conceded only four to cruise to a 77-point victory.
The Dockers weren't immune to off-field issues either, with coach Ross Lyon at the centre of allegations of sexual harassment from a female staff member, who alleged she had been paid to keep silent.
Stars Nat Fyfe, Aaron Sandilands and Michael Walters all endured very frustrating seasons, and Lachie Neale, who is almost certain to collect his second Best and Fairest, seems headed for Brisbane.
Matt Taberner made a promising start, but was cut down with a broken foot in Round 5, while Harley Bennell followed up another summer of controversy with another zero-game season.
The most famous injury, however, was the horrific broken jaw young gun Andrew Brayshaw sustained in Round 20 against West Coast, which saw him miss the remaining three games.
It was particularly unfortunate, as the No. 2 draft pick had been playing brilliant football.
His form up to that point had been the highlight of the season for Fremantle, along with the development of a large group of other young players including Adam Cerra, Luke Ryan, Ed Langdon, Brennan Cox and Bailey Banfield.
Alex Pearce also returned from nearly two years on the sidelines to play 21 games and have a terrific year in defence - and he also has plenty of time left to mature and improve further - while Nathan Wilson ended up being a terrific pick-up from GWS, giving their half-back line a lot more energy with the ball.
With impressive big men Sean Darcy and Griffin Logue also to come in and another top 10 draft pick to come this year, there is more than enough young talent for Ross Lyon to build a team around in years to come.
GOLD COAST
By Nick D'Urbano
Another year of disappointment for Gold Coast, who failed to complete the season on a note to keep fans looking forward to the future.
The season, summed up by the Tom Lynch saga, took an enormous toll on the club along with the enormous travel in the first couple months of the season, which saw them wait until Round 11 before their first home game at Metricon Stadium due to the Commonwealth Games.
The Suns, however, were 3-2 after Round 5 following impressive wins over North Melbourne, Carlton and Brisbane, with Stuart Dew’s tenure at the Suns getting off to the perfect start.
But Gold Coast would only win one game after that - incredibly against Sydney - going 1-16 from that point on, which included a run of five games without a goal kicked in the final term of any of the contests.
The year got even tougher with Lynch going down with a season-ending injury and their young battalion continuing to be beaten up by their opposition week in, week out.
The Suns’ crowning moment of the season was their win over the Swans at the tail end of the season, where they shocked the home side with an incredible four-goal win on the road.
Led by Steven May, Lachie Weller and Touk Miller, the Suns were able to beat the soon-to-be finalists and at long last bring smiles to the faces of the Gold Coast faithful.
But now, with co-captains Lynch and May both being courted by opposition clubs and Aaron Hall’s future up in the air. the questions continue to be raised about the club's future.
An eighth consecutive season without finals football and falling way down the pecking order looks in session for Dew’s charges, but the promise of some of their young talent coming through can only be a saving grace for so long.
NORTH MELBOURNE
By Chris Nice
It's an bittersweet sensation for North Melbourne, whose commendable form this season failed to be rewarded with a spot in September.
Despite averting their pre-season fate of being anchored to the bottom of the ladder, the Roos' will undoubtedly be left with a whiff of disappointment among the season's overall success, following their agonising finish in ninth position.
There's no doubt the Roos dangled by a thread for a considerable portion of the year, with a series of lucky breaks against the Western Bulldogs, Sydney and Brisbane keeping them within the hunt of a mythical top-eight finish.
But losses at the back-end of the season to Adelaide, the Western Bulldogs and Collingwood ruled out a finals berth, despite there being an impressive win over West Coast in Round 19.
On the whole however, North Melbourne were by far the most pleasing story to come out of 2018, with this season serving as the cornerstone to another promising year.
For a side which lacked depth, the Roos held firm throughout the year and were absent of any significant injuries, save for Ben Jacobs and Jarrad Waite, whose ongoing concussion and calf respectively prevented them from playing out full seasons.
The vast improvements of Jed Anderson, Trent Dumont and Majak Daw helped to cover the issues within their list, while the likes of Jamie Macmillan, Luke McDonald and Jy Simpkin were persistent all year.
With Ben Brown and Jack Ziebell potent up forward with a combined 96 majors, the seasoned Robbie Tarrant and Scott Thompson holding the defensive end together and Shaun Higgins and Ben Cunnington a formidable force through the midfield, the Roos - against all odds - bear the makings of a dangerous side.
Higgins in particular was sublime, with his impressive season rewarded with an All Australian selection, while Cunnington was just as prolific despite the lack of accolades, being among one of the best contested possession players in the league.
While the retirement of Waite may leave a huge responsibility on Brown's shoulders, this season only solidified the argument that the cult hero can well and truly hold his own.
Considering that early rumours suggest North have effectively landed Jared Polec and could even snare Dylan Shiel should he decide to leave the Giants, that's one impressive line-up.
There's no reason why the Roos can't be a challenger come 2019.
PORT ADELAIDE
By Zac Standish
At the midway point of the season, everything was looking good for the Power as they geared up for another run at September glory.
But a shock loss to lowly Fremantle in Round 17 would trigger an incredible demise, which saw the pre-season fancies tumble from the top-four to outside of the top-eight in just six weeks.
Conceding six of their last seven games, Port Adelaide's monumental fall from grace has undoubtedly left numerous questions going into next year, with its list in particular a major area to address - particularly given the talk of it being an overrated one.
Much was made of Port Adelaide’s aggressive pre-season recruiting, as bringing in the likes of Tom Rockliff, Jack Watts and Steven Motlop showed the Power’s mentality to bolster its stocks and ascertain immediate success.
Now, after missing the top-eight for the third time in the past four seasons, the legitimacy of the Power has been thrown into question - an issue only heightened as their star players age towards retirement.
At their best, Port Adelaide were a forced to be reckoned with, racking up impressive wins against the competition's heavyweights thanks to its steely and physical approach.
This was evident throughout a period in the middle of the season as they ground out impressive wins against Richmond and Melbourne and looked destined for a top-four finish.
But from then on, the Power completely faltered.
So where did it go wrong for the men from Alberton?
Injuries played a key role in their end of season disaster, as Paddy Ryder, Charlie Dixon and Tom Jonas headlined a number of integral players who would miss must-win matches.
Ken Hinkley's men were also on the end of some heartbreaking losses, with the Round 19 Showdown and a Round 20 clash against West Coast yielding a combined losing margin of seven points; both of which ended in somewhat controversial circumstances.
The bottom-end of Port’s lineup also faded away significantly throughout this period, with too much often left to too few in the critical moments.
On a positive note, the Power were able to successively transform Chad Wingard into a damaging midfielder, which only strengthened their on-ball brigade.
The re-signing of star young midfielder Ollie Wines was undoubtedly another positive Port can take out of 2018, as the club looks to build around him for years to come.
Yet with Jared Polec suspected to be on his way out, a number of stars approaching the twilight of their careers and chairman David Koch declaring any player is "tradeable", could the Power in trouble?
Maybe this sense of danger will light their spark going into 2019.
If there's anything which will spur them to success, it will be this year's shambles.
ST KILDA
By Chris Nice
Carlton and Gold Coast's stagnation alongside Port Adelaide's spiral out of the top-eight may have been among the most scrutinised campaigns this season, yet St Kilda's year was unequivocally the most disappointing.
Not only did the club fail to live up to its expectations of finishing in the top-four - or even top-eight - but regressed in spectacular fashion, finishing in 16th position (4-17-1) as opposed to last year's 11-11 figures, which saw them sit just one game outside the eight.
A side sorely lacking consistency, St Kilda struggled to piece together any fluency from week to week, with the question going into each match being which outfit would show up - the one who could take on the competition's elite, or the one who could completely drop away at a moment's notice.
The lack of cohesion was most telling at the back-end of the season, with a solid 64-point victory over Carlton and a narrow four-point loss to Hawthorn sandwiching embarrassing defeats against Richmond, Essendon and the Western Bulldogs on their home deck.
St Kilda's pressure, which had become a hallmark of their game style in the years prior, was noticeably absent for majority of the season, as too was their tackling pressure (17th in the league) and proficiency in front of goal.
The Saints similarly ranked 17th for accuracy in front of the big sticks (43 per cent), with regular contributor and dead-eye Tim Membrey (34.28) off his his pinpoint best of 2016 (44.18) and 2017 (38.14).
It wasn't so much the volume of misses which was most frustrating for the Saints, but more so the manner in which they occurred, with wayward kicking from short-range initiating lapses on the field and allowing their opposition to punish accordingly.
Movement across the ground and entries inside 50 were equally as haphazard, and served as yet another reminder of the Saints' lack of cohesion.
The injury toll in the defensive end did little to improve the situation, with the season-ending loss of Dylan Roberton among the absences of Jake Carlisle, Nathan Brown, Jimmy Webster and Sam Gilbert throughout the season.
While the midfield force of Jack Steven and Seb Ross performed well throughout the year alongside the emerging Jack Steele, a sense of danger was lacking, as too was ascendancy around the clearances, with St Kilda ending the year in 18th position.
The blooding of youth and their potential will undoubtedly be promising for the Saints, with seven debutants coming to the fore and attaining valuable game time.
Hunter Clark, Ben Paton, Nick Coffield and Ed Phillips are just some who will undoubtedly be pivotal pieces of the future.
That being said, the direction in which the Saints are going remains hazy, with the club's cleansing off to a controversial start following the delistings of Nathan Freeman and Hugh Goddard, while the future of Alan Richardson still swirls around the rumour mills.
An aggressive trade period is said to be on the horizon, but this season proved St Kilda are far from a destination club, and are yet to lure any big names (Dylan Shiel) to Moorabbin.
From the outset, St Kilda must work with the list they have internally - a high draft pick this year will certainly help them out in the long run.
But the amount of time it could take to improve their current situation may be alarming.
WESTERN BULLDOGS
By Conor Morrissey
2018 was another frustrating year for the Western Bulldogs, winning just eight games, down from 11 last year in their premiership defence.
The gap between their best and worst was massive, with their inconsistency during matches a major player in this frustration.
They enjoyed a memorable victory over Geelong in Round 15, were unlucky to lose thrilling encounters with Sydney and North Melbourne, and if Brad Lynch’s snap in the final round had been six inches to the right, they would have been the first team in over a year to beat Richmond at the MCG.
However, at times the Bulldogs really struggled to put together any sort of consistency within games, and also struggled offensively, limping to some ugly losses, including a wet night in Adelaide where they managed just two goals.
A few worrying trends emerged; one was their capacity for startling drop-offs in intensity after half-time, and the other was the inability to compete on the road.
The Giants hammered them by 82 points in Round 1, and in addition to their two-goal display against the Crows, they lost away games to Fremantle, West Coast and Port Adelaide by 54, 54 and 57 points respectively.
Despite being one of the youngest sides of the century to win a premiership only two years ago, the list profile only continues to become younger, and most games they played this season they were by far the less experienced team.
Following the 2017 retirements of Matthew Boyd and Bob Murphy, as well as the departure of Jake Stringer, Luke Beveridge couldn’t afford to lose much more experience through the season.
Yet luck wasn't on the Dogs' side, as Tom Liberatore and Liam Picken were unsighted, while Dale Morris, Easton Wood and Matt Suckling all played either close to a half-season each.
Jack Redpath played just two games, and midfield aces Jackson Macrae and Marcus Bontempelli were also forced out of the side with injuries at times – the former losing a sure grip on a maiden All Australian berth.
However, as can often be the case in such a crisis, many young players were able to step up.
Billy Gowers, delisted from Carlton’s rookie list in 2016 before playing in the VAFA last year, came from nowhere to be a commanding presence up forward, and looks a likely type.
First round picks Ed Richards and Aaron Naughton were both superb and will only get better, Toby McLean looks like he may turn into an A-grade midfielder next year, while Bailey Williams averaged 20 disposals across his 13 matches.
Brad Lynch also breathed life back into the Bulldogs’ half-back line, which was found out at times earlier in the season for relying too much on Jason Johannisen's run.
The Bulldogs' youth will have to continue to carry them next year.
Clay Smith and Shane Biggs both announced premature retirements, Luke Dahlhaus will leave the club as a free agent, and Jordan Roughead looks set to follow suit.
The Western Bulldogs’ off-season looms as critical.
If the squad can keep fit and healthy through the pre-season, and find another few good players via the draft, trading and free agency, they have shown they have enough potential to be back challenging for a position in the finals.
But that’s one string of speculative "ifs" for a young and patchy side.
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