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AT 10.30pm on September 17, 2010, 22 Western Bulldogs players sat leaning against the walls in the change rooms of the MCG.
In the opposing changeroom, I imagine St Kilda players with smiles from ear to ear icing sore spots and making early preparations for the next weekend's grand final.
Brad Johnson had just been carried from the field following his retirement and sat pondering what might have been, making the hurt of coming so close to the ultimate game of the season palpable.
That was the last time the Dogs made a finals appearance.
It was the start of our journey back to the finals.
Since then, times have been a bit tougher.
Three captains have held the reigns.
Twice we have had coaches move on.
And there have been a lot of changes to our playing list.
This time, only seven players from the 2010 preliminary final will take the field - now captain Robert Murphy, Dale Morris, Matt Boyd, Easton Wood, Jarrad Grant, Will Minson and 150-gamer Liam Picken.
They will be the mature heads that will stand up and steer the ship when things get a bit rough.
As they already have for 22 games this year – led by the likes of Jake Stringer and Marcus Bontempelli - the youth that makes up the majority of our list will go in with a reckless abandon, standing up to the challenges that are presented to them and dishing out a few of their own.
From the moment you arrive on Monday morning, you realise that finals footy brings a different feel to a club.
The usually empty car park out the front is packed as supporters and members try to beat the rush and get their hands on a ticket.
The café and Bulldog Shop buzz with die-hards trying to get a glimpse of their favourite player, and the papers carry photos of opposition teams at their end-of-season celebrations.
Walking down the hallway inside the Kennel and chatting with new CEO Dave Stephenson on Thursday, we bumped into Bob Murphy, who was on his way to get his boots re-shrunk by our boot magician Jayden, in preparation for the last month of the season.
“It feels like finals today,” was all he said, but we both knew what he meant.
The past week has felt like a new season. Even our most experienced players that have been involved in finals before don’t really know what to expect, as it’s that time of year when it has become a ‘win or go home’ challenge.
Through the home and away season, coach Luke Beveridge often spoke about the need to be reliable rather than remarkable, but as with any finals series, there will be crucial moments when players do remarkable things.