AFL greats James Hird and Jimmy Bartel have discussed the pain of losing a grand final and where Geelong can go from here.
The Cats came into this year's decider as firm favourites, but the Lions blew open a tight game to halftime in a dominant 47-point win.
Hird, who won flags in 1993 and 2000 with Essendon, spoke about losing the 2001 grand final to a Lions team that went on to win three straight premierships.
Hird and his Bombers never made it back to another decider and he was asked on Channel 9 about the "mental wounds" of losing a grand final.
MORE: Dangerfield 'proud' of Geelong despite grand final capitulation
"I don't think it exists into next year, but when we lost in 2001, it hurts. It really hurts," he recalled.
"Because the grand final isn't just about that year, it's about your whole career and what you've built up and the camaraderie you've built with your team and the expectation.
"And when you lose, most of the people on the losing team don't perform to the level of your ability.
"Not only have you lost, you also haven't performed on the big stage."
Bartel was a member of a Geelong side that won a drought-breaking flag in 2007 only to suffer an upset loss to Hawthorn in the grand final the following year.
"It's how you react to it," he said. "At first you have to acknowledge it's a missed opportunity because they're so difficult to get to.
"Just assuming you'll get back there again next year, it doesn't always happen that way - injuries, form and a bit of luck can go against you.
"But it's how you react to it. You've got to sit there, take your lessons, take your licks, and work out what did we really do well and what's a clear room for improvement and then go about your business and be determined to come back as a better player."
Bartel's Cats did exactly that, bouncing back to win further premierships in 2009 and 2011.
It remains to be seen how this year's Geelong side rebounds from its heavy grand final defeat when the 2026 season kicks off.