I managed to see the second half of a replay tonight. It looked to me as if the Nix played to the level of Bentleigh Greens - who played well considering there were just 10 of them (and briefly nine) in that second half. Bentleigh defence managed well with anything we produced, but were equally inept in front of our goal. I liked their cohesion - they held possession well while we simply looked undercooked.
I wonder if the short corners were a tactical decision on part of Rudan to get some creative play going, but it did not work against a spirited defending of BG. They (BG) had more motivation, I think, and we'll need some more good friendlies before the season starts to get ourselves sorted.
Contrary to what other said, I do not think another striker is a solution to everything. Instead, I think we'll benefit from someone actually "directing" our attack; I did not see anyone taking on that role last night. Nicholls looked badly out of shape and Burns looked uninspiring, going through the motions. I hope Rudan has the right man management skills to get the best out of them, and Williams, to give us a fighting chance this coming season.