The win-loss column looked very similar to past seasons for Carngham-Linton, but under coach Clayton Scoble, it seems the culture and structure of the club have been reset.
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The 2021 Central Highlands Football League season was the second time the Saints have gone winless since joining the league in 2011.
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Scoble can see the light at the end of the tunnel, however.
"We've got a lot of work to do and we're not naive to the fact that we have," he said.
"I take my hat off to these boys because they are buying in.
"At the end of the day I have confidence with the club going forward."
The Saints stood every chance of winning multiple games, but could not put four quarters together.
They nearly overran Beaufort in round one but eventually fell by six points.
They piled on six goals to one in the last term to nearly overrun Creswick in round four, but it was ultimately too little, too late.
The following week against Ballan, Carngham-Linton only trailed by three points at three-quarter time, but allowed seven goals to two in the final term to lose by 36 points.
In round six, the Saints trailed Clunes by 14 points at the final change but could not bring the deficit back in the final term, going down by 21 points.
"Hopefully we can grow in that area and know where a game's at, to turns those losses into wins," Scoble said.
"I've said to the boys, Rome wasn't built in a day and we've just got to keep progressing and stick to a process and don't worry about the scoreline."
From there it was tough going, facing four eventual finalists and ninth-placed Bungaree, the closest margin in that stretch being a 57-point loss to Buninyong.
As the off-season approaches, some key-position recruits is what Scoble is after to help build the side alongside the young core.
"Like every side, another good full-forward, ruckman," he said.
"I'm big on youth and giving kids opportunities which I did this year and they're growing into young men and getting more confidence in that.
"If we can get a couple more old heads, I think it'll make their job a lot easier and it'll take a bit more pressure off the leaders of the club."
Record
0-11, 0 per cent games won, 36.45 traditional percentage
Ladder position
17th
Leading goalkicker
Joshua Foley (19)
Season
Round one: defeated by Beaufort 6.8 (44) - 7.8 (50)
Round two: defeated by Hepburn 5.2 (32) - 39.13 (247)
Round three: defeated by Rokewood-Corindhap 3.13 (31) - 15.14 (104)
Round four: defeated by Creswick 10.7 (67) - 13.3 (81)
Round five: defeated by Ballan 10.7 (67) - 16.7 (103)
Round six: defeated by Clunes 6.10 (46) - 10.7 (67)
Round nine: bye
Round 10: defeated by Waubra 8.5 (53) - 21.14 (140)
Round 11: defeated by Skipton 3.4 (22) - 17.14 (116)
Round 12: defeated by Bungaree 3.4 (22) - 18.21 (129)
Round 15: defeated by Buninyong 7.5 (47) - 16.8 (104)
Round 17: defeated by Dunnstown 7.3 (45) - 25.15 (165)
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