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.
Sure, Melbourne let you down again. However, unless you still wear dry nights to bed, I'm sure this isn't your first rodeo.
With another off season to exercise his Demons, literally and metaphorically, Simon Goodwin will hopefully be back at the drawing board. The stubborn coach's swiss cheese game plan has yet again proven to be flawed, so with a stacked paddock of cattle at his disposal, something new will have to be constructed.
If you Demon diehards are still subjected to results that have you experiencing a broad range of negative emotions next season, you can rest easy that your club won't be expected to pay out the entirety of Goody's contract if he is shown the door.
You can also take solace in the likelihood that Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca will continue to reach new heights next season. You should also be hopeful that another preseason pumping iron will have left Sam Weideman no longer resembling his obvious nickname.
After a season that will have left you as flat as a Pommy beer, 2020 is sure to have raised more questions than it answered for the Giants fanbase.
Queries such as ‘what happened? Is Leon the right man for the job? Is Jeremy staying? And what happened to the ‘big, big sound'?' are likely to be uttered at the sparsely attended members' Christmas party.
Now I don't have the answer to any of these questions (at least not any that don't end with salt in your wounds), but should the Giants retain their Coleman winning spearhead and enough talent around him, then a return to the eight seems likely.
Although, if the talent flees the western suburbs of the harbour city like rats from a sinking ship, then it is a different story.
Should a mass exodus take place and the downward trend of results continue, then like the Demons, GWS won't be expected to pay Leon Cameron's contract out in full.
However, I'm choosing to see my glass as near full.
The list is still stacked. Their best is good enough. Leon Cameron has proven himself. The Giants will play finals next year.
Now we all know that it doesn't take much for you Carlton fans to get bullish about the future, but this time they you may have a point.
Now boasting a playing list that is far more wheat than chaff, your Blues presented themselves as contenders on multiple occasions this season. With so many of said list still lightyears away from the autumn's of their careers, bluebaggers the country over should be preparing themselves for charts to continue trending upwards.
Having spent the majority of the 2020 season in a hub, the players will have doubtlessly become more familiar with not only the abilities of those in the lockers around them, but also the men that fill them.
With the impending arrival of Zac Williams to Princes Park (one of just a plethora of names mooted), Patrick Cripps may finally have someone to help bear the midfield burden with him and an opportunity to give his weary shoulders a deserved break.
Next season may still prove to be a bit early for a finals berth, but rest assured Carlton fans the future is sure to be filled with more days of the Salad variety.
Who knew a rise of just one position on the ladder could bring so much joy?
Now before you prepare yourself for some of the snarky comments to continue, just know that my water pistol is holstered Dockers fans. I come requesting an early bird seat on your bandwagon.
The future is so bright at Cockburn that it requires Ray-Bans. With a seemingly endless list of young talent meshed with mature aged recruits and a sprinkling of skilled veterans, rookie coach Justin Longmuir needs only to be a competent chef to produce with such a stacked pantry.
With another preseason in the blistering western heat, if said ingredients don't inspire a rise in membership, attendance, and ladder position next season, I'm not sure what will.
If the choppy seas of mediocrity and despair are able to be navigated by Captain J-Lo, then it won't be too long before a premiership is docking at Fremantle port.
I'll just leave the membership hotline number here - (08) 9433 7111
Look, this one was harder than most, so if it seems a touch contrived, you'll know why.
Anyone that has ever donned the sash will tell you that they are fed up.
No finals wins since 2004, a coach whose parting message contained more shade than a rotunda and a plethora of talented players who want out will do this to you.
However, they do say that a new broom is good for sweeping clean. Enter Ben Rutten.
Now the truck has a heap on his plate already before praying that list manager Adrian Dodoro doesn't go rogue, but if his days at full back in Adelaide are anything to go by, Essendon fans can expect dependability and stability from their new head coach.
I'm sorry Bombers fans, this is about all I can offer you at the moment.
Two words. Both nouns. Ten letters.
Matt Rowell.
The minute membership base of the Suns was treated to some long-awaited star quality in the first four and half games this season.
In this small sample size, Rowell averaged 17.4 disposals, 1.2 goals, 5.2 tackles and 2.2 inside fifties.
With a season spent sidelined gathering further knowledge, it is scary to think what the high panted, redheaded Victorian has in store for the future.
Dry your eyes, Hawks fans. You've had your run.
You've seen four flags in the Clarkson era and borne witness to some of the greatest footballers the game has ever seen wearing your rancid colours.
However, what comes up must come down. It's time to vacate the throne.
In the past ten seasons, your Hawks have made only four selections in the first round of the draft. This trend of avoiding the addition of top end youth should come to an end this year.
So jump on the draft boards, Hawkers. Scour the mock drafts and put the trade radio phone number on speed dial – your inner eastern abode is about to be re-stumped.
The great thing about football is that success is neither permanent nor to be expected. I say steer into the skid and get excited about watching a whole new era ‘maybloom' before your eyes.
Or conversely, shut the shades and bust out the three-peat DVDs.
From Albert Park to Moore Park, the back end of the season was sure to have excited you Bloods fans.
Between the emergence of cygnets like Rowbottom and McInerney, the consolidation of Dawson, Aliir and Hayward, as well as the perrenial performances of stars in Papley, Kennedy and Parker, there were many reasons for you Swans fans to smile.
Add Franklin and Heeney back into the mix next season and like the vacationing Griswold kids, you lot will need corrective surgery to fix your grins.
Sydney have always had the ability to turn late picks into gems and early selections into shooting stars, so starting with pick three, you can expect your list managers to nail another draft class this December.
Look I can't lie, this one was challenging as well.
My only advice is to trust in Rhyce Shaw.
Trust that he and your list managers know what they are doing.
Trust that the fleet of players they've already let go won't bob up elsewhere and hurt you in the future.
Trust that in a competition designed socialistically, it won't be too long before you're back in contention.
Trust that young gun Luke Davies-Uniacke will become another Chris Judd.
As D:Ream said 27 years ago, things can only get better.
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.
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.