Senior coach Josh Fraser has cast an eye to 2017 after the Northern Blues’ season drew to a close on Saturday against Essendon.

The game against the Bombers marked the final game of Fraser’s first season in charge, which saw the Blues play a youthful squad against the finals-bound hosts. 

Fielding a squad with an average age of 21 and 14 players with less than 20 games of VFL experience, the Blues stuck to their guns before being comprehensively overrun in the final quarter.

With 10 first-year players in the side, Fraser said a lack of leadership came to the fore when it mattered most in the contest.

“I think we got a big glimpse into our future which was really exciting, obviously the fadeout was disappointing and there’s been a pattern of that over the course of the year,” Fraser said.

“To be able to field an inexperienced side and see some real growth and form from our younger players - as a coach, I walk away pretty optimistic of where we’re heading.

“We didn’t have enough players standing up. You might expect some kind of drop-off but I actually thought our younger players were the ones who kept fighting.” 

Season 2016 marked a year of change and development for the Blues, who went from four to six wins and saw 27 new players come through the ranks at VFL level.

On reflection, Fraser said his maiden season as coach had been an exciting one, but a year which presented the need for growth from all involved.

“It’s been really exciting - our improvement shouldn’t be measured in wins and losses, we’ve had some great wins along the way against three of the last four premiers,” Fraser said. 

“There’s a lot to like, but we’ve got to keep building our depth and developing our list… I think we’ll be able to add to that over the summer. 

“We’ve taken some strides in terms of culture and standards, but we’re nowhere near satisfied and we’re looking forward to launching into pre-season.”