Whether you are a player or spectator, the adrenalin rushes from winning close games are fantastic, just as losing close games are devastating.
I know a lot of our fans were left sitting in the stands and in front of their TV sets in a state of shock after our loss to Carlton last week, and they were bleeding.
If it’s any consolation, the hurt and bewilderment that you were feeling was twice as bad for the player group.
Everyone was out there trying their hardest, running through the pain barrier to try and stop Carlton’s surge.
Unfortunately we couldn’t quite do that and it was a very miserable few days and nights for us after that.
It has been a tough season in many respects and I have copped my own bits of personal criticism from former players in the media, one in particular.
I understand where they’re coming from, but they’re not close to the situation here and you know you are trying your guts out every week.
At the end of the day if you listened to every negative comment said about you, then you would turn into a very negative person very quickly.
Both myself and the team are constantly trying our best to rectify things in every single thing we do.
I don’t think people realize just how hard the pain of losing affects the player group.
Sire it is our job and our livelihood, but it is also our passion, and we all want to be winners.
That’s why we will try to put the pain and bitterness of last week behind us and concentrate on beating Sydney on Saturday night.
We have a lot of pride in our team and our jumper, and we will focus on that this week.
The critics will say that we have nothing to play for this week, but that’s not right.
They could have said the same thing about Carlton, but they came up here with a big monkey on their back in terms of beating us, especially on our home ground.
But they gave us a hard time on our home soil, and we are now in exactly the same situation going to Sydney.
They have had a great record against us for the last five years, but we want to lift ourselves on the day and do what Carlton did to us.
This is my last column of the season, so I will look forward to a month’s time and say you know what, I can’t see anyone beating Geelong for the premiership.
They are only going to get stronger through the finals.
I think Hawthorn should and will meet Geelong in the grand final, but they are another year away from having a really good chance at it.
Certainly Geelong look as strong as what we were a few years ago and three in a row is not out of the question.
