Carlton captain Patrick Cripps' immediate feeling after Friday night's elimination final loss to Geelong was "proud".
The Blues were the surprise packets of 2026, turning a 1-8 win-loss record, parting ways with senior coach Michael Voss, to earn a spot in the Wildcard Round under interim coach Josh Fraser and climb into September action with a win over Melbourne.
Cripps and his charges challenged the Cats in front of over 95,000 at the MCG, but ultimately, the scoreboard didn't favour the Ikon Park club.
"Proud," he said on Channel Seven after the game.
"At the moment, disappointed because I felt we could go a long way. We found a way to make something of the year. I wish it could continue. That's the nature of finals. It's the last man standing, and Geelong were too good tonight.
"I think there's a lot of character in this group. A lot to build on. These boys are made of the right stuff so, tonight's going to hurt, but we'll make sure we stick together."
Cripps is confident that with a full pre-season under Fraser, who won the senior coaching position after a stellar interim tenure, the Blues will continue to improve.
"A lot (of belief)," the Blues skipper said.
"There's a lot of youth in this side. This experience at a packed G (MCG), two finals, is invaluable, so to get exposure to that, we'll get building.
"I felt midway through the second (it was slipping away).
"We started the game really well, but when the conditions turned, they started playing a front-half game, which we couldn't get out of. Credit to them, their pressure and the way they got through us, especially in the third quarter and start of the fourth, they were too good for us in the end."
