As a group we improved. You only have to look at the ladder and clearly we didn’t finish on the bottom which shows that we got better.

We can be proud of our efforts this season. Overall we were a lot more competitive even though we still lost games. The majority of those games that we lost, our effort was still really good. It’s the effort that we hope will make our fans and our people proud.

I think there is still a long way to go. You can see by our last couple of games where we played top four teams that there is a gap between us and them.

The highlight of the season was the Western Bulldogs game. In the past, if a team was on top of us at half-time, we would tend to fall away and the losses could turn ugly. For all the boys to dig in and get back and win was unbelievable and something I’ll never forget.

All the young guys that came into our side contributed in some way. They committed to our journey and it was great to see.

The effort of the older guys doesn’t get much recognition, but I think it should. You see how much we miss Sam Fisher and Sam Gilbert when they come back in the team and play an important role for us. To get them back out on the field was great for us and also great for me being a defender. Obviously Nick Riewoldt is a star and Leigh Montagna also had a very strong season.

The opportunity to play more games with Adam Schneider was terrific. It was something that I will truly cherish. I’ve played with him for 13 years and my entire career has been spent alongside him. He played some really good footy for us in 2015 and was a great leader.

This year I was a lot more consistent than in 2014. I had a bit of a flat spell in the middle last season but I feel as if this year was more level. I think I contributed to the team a lot more.

I will continue to work on my kicking because it is not the best part of my game.

I’m starting to come towards the end of my career so it’s important I pass on the knowledge I’ve gained to the younger defenders and show leadership. I look forward to doing that in 2016.