Corio Bayside outscored every other club across the season and won't play a final. They finished with a 271 against Flannie that mattered to nobody, having spent 22 rounds being the best team in the competition on any measure that isn't the one that counts. The Eagles were the best side in the country in '91 and Hawthorn took the flag anyway. Some seasons are just like that. Not that the finalists covered themselves in glory. Walkabout were rolled by Cazzu and the Pirates lost to the wooden spooners. Only the Cheats and Fitzroy head into the semis with a win behind them. For the eight sides now finished, it's Cena tapping out to Gunther - the Never Give Up guy giving up, with nothing left but the memory of once being relevant. Walkabout get to choose. They've just been beaten by a side that missed the finals, so whatever certainty they had is a bit dented. Fitzroy are the soft option. The Cheats are the brave one.