In an AFL match decided by one point, every missed goal could have been the difference.
When a premiership is on the line, the sense of regret over missed opportunities doesn’t abate with ease.
“I certainly rue the fact I missed a number of shots back in ’06,” said Swans stalwart Jude Bolton, who kicked two behinds in that grand final loss to West Coast.
“You sit there and play it through in your mind and say ‘geez. I could have easily kicked that goal’.
“You’ve got to take your chances on the big stage.”
Bolton, who played in both the 2005 and 2006 deciders, said the pain of six years ago is still burning.
“I certainly don’t want to have that feeling again,” Bolton said prior to the Swans’ training session on Thursday.
“I know we were slumped on the ground after the game. You know that there are moments in that game where you easily could have performed a lot better than what you did.
“So I want to make sure we come off the ground as winners.”
One of many factors behind the Swans’ rise up the ladder this season was their improved goalkicking accuracy.
It was arguably the difference in their qualifying final win over Adelaide, in which their 11.5 easily triumphed over 5.12.
However the radar went missing in a 26-point win over Collingwood last Friday, in which the Swans booted 13.18 and failed to make the most of their plentiful opportunities.
Sydney can at least take heart from the fact Hawthorn also suffered the yips in their preliminary final.
The Hawks entered their attack 26 more times than Adelaide and had 10 more scoring shots, yet scraped home by just five points.
Lance Franklin kicked 3.5 and sprayed another shot out on the full against the Crows.
“This week we need to take our opportunities when we can, because otherwise it can cost us,” Franklin said earlier this week.