GEELONG had already played its grand final before yesterday. It happened eight days earlier, under lights, at the same venue, before exactly 700 more people.

It was in the preliminary final against Collingwood that the Cats were jittery and afflicted by the magnitude of the occasion, in which there was the suffocating pressure — in the lead-up and during the game — of a grand final.

If there was to be a choke, it would happen that night, not in a grand final that resembled a Geelong mardi gras — more celebration or ceremony than contest.

Yesterday was a 120-minute training run. Having survived the Friday night dogfight against the Magpies, Geelong had regained the kind of self-assurance it had demonstrated throughout a season in which it was several lengths ahead of the field.

Mark Williams had displayed confidence, almost to the point of arrogance. But, in the eyes of some, this was actually bluff and bluster — empty rhetoric that wouldn't have been necessary if you truly believed. Matthew Scarlett spoke for those Geelong people who were less than impressed by Choco's braggadocio.

"There's a lot been said — not from Geelong," said the full-back, who was among the best afield. "We just soaked it all up and went out and showed them.

"I really thought about 10 minutes to go, we just really wanted to bury them … any time we started thinking we were going to win, we just cut it out, talking to each other out there. We just wanted to play for the final siren and I think it showed how ruthless we are."

Whereas Port talked it up, Geelong truly was confident. You could sense that during the week in conversations with officials, who spoke with a cautious optimism that belied what they really thought — that they would win, and take the premiership, unless there was an act of God against them.

They just did not dare declare it, knowing that confidence is best kept within, and 44 years of failure tends to encourage humility.

"The mood was what we've been all year — quietly confident," said Scarlett.

Once it was done, the Cats were willing to admit that, yes, they had considered themselves good things. "We were (confident)," said football manager Neil Balme. "Mostly because … we didn't have too many weaknesses. Really no obvious weaknesses."

Geelong had been, as the suddenly forthright Balme admitted, probably the best side to grace the competition in a single season since Essendon in 2000.

The brush with mortality against Collingwood had also brushed off the cobwebs that had developed in the break between the massacre of the Kangaroos and the preliminary final.

"A few guys were nervous that game," said Scarlett. "Maybe having the week off stopped a bit of our momentum. To experience a game like Collingwood last week was a great stepping stone for our young guys." Balme concurred: "Probably the game against Collingwood was an enormous help, because it reminded us what you've got to do to play finals footy."

In finals footy, you've got to win the contested ball, and strangle the opposition. Close them down, and then play your game. From pretty early in the first quarter, it was evident Port would struggle to score, and that its forward line was a black hole; steadily, inexorably, this dominance spread from the defence up the field.

The grand final, thus, was the exclamation mark of an outstanding season, much like Essendon in 2000, or Carlton in 1995. The season, indeed, will be remembered more than the anti-climatic denouement.

The Casts won the flag, like a Geelong team should — easily, playing fluent, attractive football. It was the way, as the club song says, it should be played.

They played as they had since round six. "We had a great pre-season, and then it's well documented a few home truths were said after the (round five) North Melbourne loss," said Scarlett.

"All day we were just ruthless and enjoyed playing for one another and we didn't want to let each other down. We've done it too many times in the past. It's not going to happen at Geelong any more." So, with the premiership taken, they've let the Cat out of the bag, too. Geelong knew it would win. It just had to not stuff up.

"It comes down to one game," said Max Rooke. "If you don't perform today, the year doesn't mean much at all."

The year now means everything to so many.