"I firmly believe that any man's finest hour — his greatest fulfilment to all he holds dear — is that moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle, victorious."
VINCE LOMBARDI

With these few words the great American football coach summarised what it is about AFL football that is so special.

It's that indefinable moment at the end of a grand final when suddenly it is all worthwhile. The countless hours of hard work, the untold sacrifices, the total commitment. All for the utter joy of total fulfilment.

Have you ever experienced anything like it? That moment when you worked your heart out; when you were totally motivated and empowered. It doesn't have to be the MCG. It can be the equivalent level for any sport or business. But having been there once you want to go back again. As they wake this morning, that's what 22 Geelong players will be feeling.

As I reflect on my first 12 months out of football, it's what I miss most. The thrill of the competition. Risking the devastation of losing for the chance to savour that incredible moment of victory.

It starts with that knot in the stomach that you get just before you go into battle. That shocking feeling which you cannot possibly get enough of. That's what competition is all about. The anxiety and anticipation. The uncertainty of what might happen. The fear of the huge unknown.

It's about stepping out onto the MCG, crashing into a brick wall of noise and emotion, floating over the grass, unable to feel your legs as you are carried along by the occasion. It's about the massive adrenalin rush as it all begins. And the knowledge that every last contest could be pivotal to the outcome.

That's what I miss most. That and the knowledge that you are doing it all with your best mates — 21 blokes who understand what it's like because they are alongside you, sharing the same gut-wrenching emotions.

Football is great because it encapsulates so many great things. The banter in the dressing rooms on a training night. The comradeship that only exists in team sport. The sense of togetherness in pursuit of the common goal. What I miss most about AFL football is the opportunity to experience all that again.

Football provides the pressure that we all hate yet when we don't have it, we crave it. I will argue with anyone who says they love the pressure. No, some just cope with it better. They use it to channel their energies and focus their attention instead of letting the fear of what might happen overcome them.

It is what can separate the best from the rest — who stands up and who doesn't, who plays well on the big stage and who doesn't. It is what finals represent and why we laud those who shine on the big stage.

Some brave men have been made to look meek and fragile when pressure is applied. Yet it's about taking opportunity. Think of an Olympic athlete. They get one chance in four years to get it right. In Geelong's case it was 43 years. That's pressure.

I look at games differently these days. As a player I only ever used to look at teams as the opposition, trying to identify ways we could beat them. Now I'm just a fan. And instead of just respecting players I find myself admiring the people who put on the show. And this year, I found so much to admire.

As I wrote in this column, I admired the West Coast Eagles for the way they took a stance on the Ben Cousins issue and didn't waver. I admired the AFL Players Association in their fight to preserve the illicit drugs policy and the campaign to educate and rehabilitate rather than humiliate and excommunicate.

I appreciated seeing from the inside what Glenn Archer means to the Kangaroos, having attended his 300th game celebration dinner. The Shinboner spirit is truly something special. Like the man himself.

I've admired the way AFL football has said goodbye with such dignity and grace to some of its true champions — Archer, Anthony Koutoufides, James Hird and Mark Ricciuto.

I've admired the way four coaches vacated their post mid-season.

Neale Daniher faced an especially tough time when he was the first to go, but he did it with class. What an emotional send-off! The image of him walking off the ground, arm in arm with David Neitz, will live forever. Chris Connolly, Denis Pagan and Kevin Sheedy followed, each in their own respectful way.

I've really enjoyed watching the new generation of stars such as Joel Selwood, Scott Pendlebury, Dale Thomas, Buddy Franklin, Marc Murphy, Bryce Gibbs, Matthew Leuenberger and Pat Ryder. Our future is in good hands.

And yesterday I enjoyed watching the two best teams of the year do battle.

In the end it was a good result. The best team all year won the flag. The Cats can sit right up there alongside the great sides on pure statistics alone. Nine All-Australians, a Brownlow medallist, a Rising Star and a premiership.

They've taken all before them and conquered in a lesson for their 15 opponents — with much the same side that finished 10th last year they proved the worth of committing to the team ethos and investing in the team.

They survived the gut-wrenching anxiety of AFL grand final day and triumphed on the greatest stage of all. Congratulations!