The senior side featured nearly all local players and while the results did not go the Blues' way the majority of the season, they had the most players on the training track in 10 to 15 years.

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"I'm realistic and I understand the position that our list is in, so my expectations aren't really too high," Batten said.

"It's more about seeing development from the players game to game and how they can apply themselves.

"There was patches where they played some good footy ...

"It's about matching it (with the good sides) for the whole game instead of just doing it in little patches."

These good patches were on show early in the season, specifically against Daylesford and in the Blues win over Carngham-Linton.

In the final seven rounds, they played five top eight sides including top two teams Gordon and Hepburn and felt the power of these clubs in some big losses.

For Batten, key position players are on the list of needs in the off-season, to go with the development of the young list already at his disposal.

"There was a lot of improvement from a lot of the young guys, which is good to see," Batten said.

"Hopefully they can keep on in that upward trajectory and they'll just become really good, established senior footballers."

Batten has signed on to lead Ballan in 2022.

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