IF GRAND final defeat is football’s most painful experience, then losing a spot in the finals after a loss by the smallest of margins in the final round of the regular season is not far behind.

Kilmore’s heartbreaking one-point loss against Woodend/Hesket in round 18 will be stuck in the players’ memory banks for several weeks to come.

The Blues appeared to have their position in the Riddell District Football League (RDFL) finals rubber-stamped with a month remaining.

But they paid the ultimate price for four consecutive defeats – three of them by less than two goals – and missed the top six by just one game. Now the Blues are resigned to the role of finals spectator.

Before the RDFL finals started on Saturday, Kilmore president Bernie Hede said disappointment was the overwhelming emotion.

Remarkably, Kilmore entered the top four in round six and was not displaced until the final day of the regular rounds.

“The players took it very strongly and they were very, very disappointed,” Hede said.

“There were certainly games during the year there where we could have snuck home and won. But the last game was devastating for the boys.

“We had our opportunities, but on the day we just didn’t play well. Woodend/Hesket wanted it more than us.

“We should have been playing in a final, but we’re not. As I explained to them, that’s footy. I said: ‘That’s a game you’ll never forget’.”

It is often the close games which make a difference. Of the Blues’ eight losses in 2010, six were by three goals or less.

A loss of form, injuries and suspensions conspired to seal their fate.

Hede cited the Blues two-point loss to local rivals Wallan in the opening round as one example of a missed opportunity.

“In retrospect, the Wallan game, the first game of the season, has cost us. We led all day.

“But we got to a stage where we beat Riddell at home (in round eight) and we’re the only ones that have beaten them. We thought our season was right on track at that stage.

“It’s hard to put a finger on it. In the second half of our season, we just fell away a bit. I really don’t think we were a (good) wet weather side, either.”

But there were highlights. Spearhead Aaron James stood tall and pocketed a noteworthy 126 goals. Matthew Robertson, Travis Hede, playing-coach Guy Booker, and the Keenan brothers, Todd and Dale, were others to shine.

“There are some good kids there. If you throw a couple of really experienced players into the mix, and there’s the making of a pretty good side. We sort of lacked a bit of height, which cost us in some games.

“I think there will be positives, in the respect that a lot of the players will think a bit more about their footy. You’ve got to win those close ones.”

The close one was, in the end, the story of Kilmore’s season.