Footy is built on hope. Fans have to BELIEVE.
Premierships are getting tougher to win, simply due to the basic mathematics, but we must be able to dream.
With one winner from 18 clubs, about to become one from 19 in the Tassie era, it's a brutal race. The draft and competitive balance is here to give every fan a chance at glory, right?
The reality is, some clubs are a looooong way off. Who is closest? Who is seemingly light years away from the AFL's ultimate prize?
I've tackled the difficult task of ranking clubs in order of who is closest to a premiership right now and who remains in a different galaxy ... from 18th (the longest distance from glory) to first.
Here we go:
14GWS
They've been stiff, the Giants. They've deserved a flag for continually knocking on the door. In hindsight, 2016 was the one that got away - and rarely have they stopped contending.
But the reality is, they are slipping out of contention, particularly if the spiritual king Toby Greene leaves. On top of that, Jesse Hogan's rotten run of luck continues.
It is difficult to see the Giants improving much next year, and with the constant threat of other clubs cherry-picking players, a much-deserved premiership is edging further away.
