Caleb Serong sure downed Fremantle Dockers are capable of greatness

A PROUD Fremantle star Caleb Serong says there are no more question marks on his team's ability to eventually deliver a Dockers premiership after pushing one of the game's greatest teams to the end in a thrilling Grand Final on Saturday.

There was a sense of devastation in the losing rooms at the MCG after Brisbane snatched an improbable victory from the Dockers, who had led by a game-high 17 points with four minutes to play.

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But as partners and parents consoled a group of shocked players, who had been so close they almost felt victory, a sense of pride emerged in the brave performance that almost ended the Lions dynasty.

Serong said the defeat hurt, but there was no doubt in his mind that the Dockers had what it took to bounce back and go one step further on the biggest stage.

"Today just gave me even more belief in what we're capable of. Until you really get to this occasion and you're out there and amongst it, you've always got that question mark," the three-time club champion told AFL.com.au.

"No more question marks. We showed that we belong here. This is where we belong and we'll go about making sure we get back here.

"This club's an incredible club, and that team that went out there and played today put their hearts on the line and their bodies on the line and did everything they possibly could to get the result.

"It wasn't to be and there was another team out there doing the same thing.

"That's why it hurts so much, because you put yourself out there and you strive to do these great things and it kills you when it doesn't happen. It hurts a lot but there's a lot of pride as well."

Serong said Saturday's loss would not define Fremantle, with coach Justin Longmuir highlighting that Saturday's winners had also suffered their own heartbreak in 2023 before going on to create a dynasty.

A young team that has been built to create an era of sustained success, Longmuir said the Dockers' journey was not finished.

"We want to make sure we emulate something like them and keep contending and keep putting ourselves up there to contend, year in and year out," the coach said.

"It's something we haven't done as a football club, but I think the way we've built the list and the way we've built the culture as a footy club, that's what we've set out to do.

"There's no guarantees, everyone starts at zero again next year, but I feel like we've got the capabilities in terms of character [and] talent within our organisation to be able to do that."

Midfielder Corey Wagner was among the players consoling with family, with his two-year-old daughter Remy giving him a lift in the aftermath of Saturday's loss.

He said it was a "hard pill to swallow" when the team had done so much right, with the players left shocked on the siren.

"It was that close you could nearly almost grab it and you could feel it. You could sort of believe it was going to happen and you could sort of think we're going to bring it home to Freo," Wagner said.

"The belief was there, the crowd was going nuts … but I don't think we probably handled the last little three minutes as good as we should have.

"It's credit to Brisbane. They've been here, they've done it, they've seen these moments before.

"JL said it, Brisbane had to go through this situation to come back and have their three-peat, and are we going to be that team to come and do that or are we going to go the other way?"

Wagner said there were emotional scenes when Longmuir addressed the group post-match, imploring the team to "support your brother" and sharing how proud he was of the group.

"We've all done it together. It takes the whole group, the staff, the boys not playing. It's hard because we had such a good year and we got so close, so it's very emotional," he said.

"But you see the calibre we've got, how young we are, the leaders are just going to get better, and our young boys are just going to get better.

"The belief's there that we can [bounce back] … and hopefully this holds us a good stead."

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