Once the disappointment subsides after having lost a nail-biting elimination final against North Melbourne on Saturday night, Geelong should be proud of how far they’ve come in such a short space of time according to coach Dan Lowther.

The Cats coach couldn’t hide entirely hide his feelings after having watched his side fall agonizingly short of a semi final berth, but he was equally optimistic about what the future holds for a group that won just three games combined over the past two seasons, to be playing off in an elimination final this weekend after finishing two points shy of the top four.

“We made a final, which for us is exceptional after where we’ve come from the last few years,” Lowther told media on Saturday.

“It’s been a really enjoyable year. The list changes we made have put us on a path that we know we’re going to get better, we just know going forward now that if we make some minor adjustments, and keep learning with the existing group, we should get better and I’m excited by that.”

The Cats growth is even more remarkable when you consider the previous season where Geelong finished 12th with two wins was only five months removed from the beginning of the current season, and it's clear to see why Lowther is so full of optimism.  

“The players, even though they’re flat inside the rooms, you’ve got to smile for what you’ve achieved,” he said.

“It doesn’t help to say it post game when everyone is feeling disappointed but they need to stop and smell the roses for a moment because they’ve come a long a long way in a short period of time and they should be motivated to do more.”