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There will always plenty of "what ifs" that accompany a narrow finals defeat. The Western Bulldogs will be pondering plenty of them over the next few days.
What if Lachie Hunter's handball to Stewart Crameri in the last moments on Saturday night hadn't looped just over the forward's head, the Dogs only a point down and the path towards goal tantalisingly clear?
What if 3.6 in the third term had have been 6.3 and a final tally of 14.18 been reversed? If Jarrad Grant and Marcus Bontompelli hadn't missed very gettable opportunities? If Jake Stringer had popped a handball over to Mitch Wallis instead of taking on the tackler and being pinged for holding the ball?
But whilst there was patent disappointment in the Bulldog camp after Saturday night's game, there was also not only justified pride, but plenty of confidence that this near-miss will be translated into something a lot more substantial.
So there should be. There's innumerable reasons what the club has achieved in 2015 is no mere novelty act.
Deficiencies seem few and far between. Certainly not in terms of the list. In playing no fewer than 40 players through the course of the season, the Bulldogs broke new ground for a strong, contending team.
That evenness of talent and flexibility will serve them well over the next few years. Their age profile is spot on, and the three oldest players on the list – Bob Murphy, Matthew Boyd and Dale Morris – soldier on with tremendous seasons under their belts.
All parts of the 22 have plenty going for them. Who would have dreamed at the start of this year that the Bulldogs, having seemingly sold the farm to acquire Tom Boyd, would come crunch time not be able to find a spot for him in the best 22, such was the effectiveness of medium-sized trio Jake Stringer, Tory Dickson and Crameri and the development of Jack Redpath?
In defence, there's also plenty of choice, Fletcher Roberts and Joel Hamling entrusted with big jobs against the Crows, but other options available, and now terrific support in the smarts and run and rebound of Murphy, Easton Wood and Jason Johannisen.
The midfield group is young and plentiful, Marcus Bontompelli, Jack Macrae, Luke Dahlhaus, Mitch Wallis, Lachie Hunter and Shane Biggs around for the long haul, and a best and fairest winner in Tom Liberatore a virtual recruit next year.
And then there's the coach. Luke Beveridge has to figure prominently in any discussion about coach of the year, such has been the extent of the positivity he has instilled in an entire club that only last November was pondering the departure of a chief executive, a coach and a captain.
Beveridge dared to win on Saturday night even when he could have attempted to shut up shop. And his challenge to his players to take on much more highly-touted sides all year has brought previously untapped talents out of nearly all of them.
It's a potent brew. And one which looks like it will be on the boil for some time to come.
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