While he was by no means an established senior player and West Coast was then one of the most settled and powerful sides in the League, his performance made him almost impossible to drop for the Eagles’ first qualifying final against the Sydney Swans the following week.

Suddenly, LeCras had a golden opportunity to cement a spot in a team that was favourite for the premiership.

But, as it so often does, reality stepped in and played spoilsport.

In a thrilling final – one of four played by West Coast and Sydney from 2005-06 that were decided by a combined 10 points – the Swans not only upset the Eagles on their home ground by one point, but also shattered LeCras’ hopes of remaining a part of the finals campaign.

It was a typical finals contest – its speed and intensity clearly a couple of notches up on a home and away match – and LeCras floundered, unable to make an impact. At night’s end, he’d had two possessions and kicked a behind.

“It was probably one of the toughest games of footy I’ve played in,” LeCras says.

“Compared to a home and away game, it was so quick, the intensity was so much higher and it was a lot more physical. I suppose that made me realise how much of a step up finals footy is.”

LeCras fully expected his subsequent demotion for the semi-final against the Western Bulldogs the following week and, while disappointed at the time, in hindsight he says it helped fast-track his football development.

“It definitely made me work harder,” LeCras says.

“It also made me watch the players who were around me a lot more – guys like (Ben) Cousins, (Chris) Judd, (Daniel) Kerr and (Dean) Cox – and think about what they were doing that I wasn’t doing, and how I could better myself to get into the side.

”Looking back, I had the best possible environment to learn in and, missing out on the rest of the finals, even on the Grand Final, was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Big call. The chance to play in a premiership may only come along once in a player’s career. Something that has been rammed home to LeCras during the Eagles’ slide down the ladder in the past two seasons.

Still, he is steadfast in his belief, explaining simply that he is a positive person. As such, he does not dwell on an opportunity missed, but on the lessons he learned watching from the sidelines.

Read the full story in the round 15 edition of the AFL Record, available at all grounds this weekend.