There are two parts to a football season: the home and away component and the finals.

You need the former to get into the latter but once there its a whole new season.

Its an understatement to say that we had the best finals campaign of any of the eight teams, after all we won the flag.

But this is a point we shouldn't take lightly given how we have botched some great opportunities in the past by shocking performances in finals.

People still may not think we are the best team but we are the 2005 Premiers and no one can take that away from us.

Geelong may have also won the flag had they beaten us. Who knows? Who cares?

We took care of St Kilda who will feeling like we did in years gone by.
Adelaide had momentum but lost two of three finals to end their great season with a whimper.
West Coast had no momentum when they played us in Perth and were very lucky to get by us.

Another point which Wayne Schwass wrote at length in his last column for the Herald Sun was that you generally have to lose one to win one. We lost in 96 and then lost a Prelim in 03. Had semi final defeats in 98 and 04. Lost in the first week some more as well.

2005 was our time and our year. Think the seeds of this flag were sown in the 2003 season. Great to see the phoenix truly rise from those Ashes.