How quickly the goal posts can move. With a target of winning a final for the first time since 1999 to winning a premiership – the focus shifted quickly when the ultimate suddenly became a realistic objective.

Having bowed out in the first week of finals activity in each of the previous three years, West Coast gave itself the best opportunity to impact at the business end of the season by winning 17 games, finishing second on the ladder and earning two home finals

They beat Sydney by four points in the qualifying final to tick the first box in the 2005 to-do list.

And then, after sending Adelaide out of the finals race in the preliminary final, it was off to the MCG to play in the club’s first grand final since 1994.

As the Grand Final loomed, there was a nervous excitement through the camp.

The game kicked into life and John Worsfold, unhappy with the balance of the team in the opening minutes summoned Mark Nicoski off the bench. He quickly scored the first goal of the match, a penetrating left foot conversion from just on the 50 metre arc.

It was the perfect start. For most of the quarter West Coast had control, but did not make enough of the ascendancy and when Sydney scored two late goals they had the advantage at the first break.

Good news was that Chris Judd, who would later add a Norm Smith Medal to his string of decorations, had started brilliantly and Cousins was just as lively. Cox was influential in the ruck and the defence was firm.

Darren Glass was making life difficult for Barry Hall, Drew Banfield had shut down the dangerous Nick Davis and Kasey Green was making the most of his late call-up against Ryan O’Keefe. The signs were encouraging.

But Sydney came out hard in the second term, slammed on three goals and at the long break led by 20 points. If there was one positive to take from it, the Swans had not taken full toll of their time in control either.

Just as he had done in the qualifying final between the two teams in the opening match of the finals series, Hunter provided an attacking spark, Judd, Cox and Cousins continued to be influential while David Wirrpanda was supreme in defence, in conjunction with Banfield and Green.

At three quarter time momentum had swung. The Swans scored just two behinds for the term, while three goals to West Coast meant they trailed by just two points.

Two early goals and West Coast led by 10 points. It seemed one more would break the game open; it couldn’t be found. Sydney responded with Hall kicking a long bomb from just outside 50.

With minutes to go less than a kick was in it. Both sides had their chances, but mostly it was a rolling scrum. It was desperate and tight. A contested ball battle of attrition. No clear air, no clean possessions. No time, no space.

It was down to seconds…Cox gathered on the wing and pumped it speculatively forward. Judd, Ashley Sampi and Mark Seaby were in the pack. Each of them thought they were a chance to mark and then, out of nowhere, Leo Barry floated across all of them and took the most (un)timely of grabs. He was walking back to take his kick when the siren sounded.

Sydney’s ecstasy was West Coast’s agony.

After a season when the club went so close to winning its third premiership it was a case of wrestling emotions. On the one hand was a degree of satisfaction at the achievement of playing in the Grand Final. On the other, the failure to capitalise on an opportunity.

Chances to win a flag are so rare it stings to see it slip through the grasp.

The club raised the bar in terms of expectations and the target was readjusted to at least sustain that level to create more opportunities. The squad was good enough to win, but it means nothing until a glorious celebration.

While the Grand Final loss to Sydney was a deflating experience, there was no escaping the fact that 2005 was a landmark in every sense.

The Eagles boasted the second youngest list and while that was reason to be optimistic that the club would be in the premiership window for several years, it brought no guarantees.

While team success was a whisker away, there was some individual glory. Captain Ben Cousins won the Brownlow Medal, with Daniel Kerr on his shoulder, finishing second. It was the first time in almost 80 years that players from the same club had filled the top two spots.

After the Brownlow Medal, the next highest acclamation is probably the Norm Smith Medal and Chris Judd’s grand final performance warranted that distinction.

Judd also won goal of the year and three players – Cousins, Cox and Wirrpanda won all-Australian selection.

Drew Banfield who played in the 1994 premiership and was the 1996 Club Champion, joined Glen Jakovich, Guy McKenna and Peter Matera as 250-game player for our club.

Cousins reached the significant 200-game mark during the season while Michael Braun became the first non-West Australian player to register 150 games and subsequently earn life membership. He also won his fourth Club Champion Award.

In addition to that a number of players who would be important in the club’s quest for a third flag – Chad Fletcher, Andrew Embley, Daniel Kerr and Dean Cox – all played their 100^th matches.

The club was kicking goals off-field as well, the reported membership figure to the AFL was a record 42,406, while an average of 40,267 people attended the 11 home games – numbers which clearly outstripped the figures of previous years.

Throw in the attendance from the two home finals – 43,302 for the qualifying final against Sydney and 43,009 in the elimination final against Adelaide and the club surpassed 500,000 fans at Subiaco Oval in one season for the first time. In all 529,278 people watched our games live in Perth in 2005.