GEELONG coach Chris Scott had a simple message for his players after their 43-point qualifying final loss to Port Adelaide on Friday night.
"We can dwell on it and feel sorry for ourselves or we can get on the front foot and attack next week. That will be my message," Scott told media post-game.
It was tough viewing and 'everything that could go wrong did go wrong', but because of the work done during the home-and-away season, Geelong gets another opportunity and the equation hasn't changed.
"I think we have to look at the opportunity in front of us," he said.
"What we are trying to be as an organisation is when the chips are down we find a way to fight back and the equation in front of us tonight and for the rest of the finals series was to try and win three games.
"So, that's where we are now, we've got to try and win the next three games and normally not many clubs get the opportunity to be in this position, so we clearly don't take it for granted and we've got an opportunity to dust ourselves off and find a way to play our best footy.
"It's definitely within our control."
Whilst the focus is very much on the now the Cats can take solace from what happened 12 months earlier. With last year's two Grand Finalists, Geelong and Richmond losing in the first week of finals. It can be done and the belief is still there.
Now comes the challenge. Scott and his leaders such at Patrick Dangerfield need to get around the group, help it reset and focus on the next game.
"We are in the same position where we were outplayed by a Port Adelaide side that were ruthless and they were the same last year. The challenge for us is to compartmentalise it, focus on one of the Sydney teams that we’ll play, and that’s the challenge ahead," Dangerfield told K rock Football post-game.
“It’s one because we’ve been here before, you can call on that past experience and you can learn.
“But, we can’t afford to dwell.”
"I think a hallmark of the Geelong Footy Club for a long time has been our resilience and ability to respond after different stages, different disappointing performances and different results.
"We've been in this position before. There's no point crying over spilt milk and what we could have done, it's about owning it, we've got to learn from it and we are going to look to execute the Geelong brand that we know we can and we know we have."
Geelong will play the winner of today's elimination final between the Swans and Giants in week two of finals.
