As a fan, missing the finals is never fun.
You're left ruing what might have been as others celebrate on the precipice of success.
Countless hours are spent calculating the losses that left your team outside of the eight or worse yet, scouring draft boards to see which teenager will be tasked with resurrecting your club.
However, it doesn't have to be all doom and gloom. Every cloud supposedly has a silver lining and it is always darkest before the dawn.
Cliches aside, here's why the fanbases of the bottom ten teams should be excited about 2021.
Adelaide
Well I'm sure that you don't need me to tell you that the vast majority of that season was pitiful.
Sure, your last month was good, but you've still found yourself with a new wooden spoon to stir your off-season punch.
The payoff? You get some shiny new toys to play with next year.
With Brad Crouch expected to leave and a first round compensation expected to find its way to West Lakes, the Crows list management team will have at least three first round picks come draft night.
Underrated winner of tonight: the Adelaide Crows, who own GWS' first round draft pick and just scored an extra top 10 pick.
— Andrew (@andrew_54) September 18, 2020
Add these youngsters to the likes of Sholl, Schoenberg, Keays, O'Brien plus a hopefully fit and firing Fogarty and things may not seem as dour as they did midseason.