The only thing more pronounced about Tom Stewart than the hoarseness of his voice or the depth of his fatigue was the broadness of his smile.
Geelong had just beaten Collingwood in Saturday's epic AFL qualifying final in a game that carried extra significance for Stewart.
Amid the recent focus on him for his four-week AFL suspension and then his fourth All-Australian selection, it was easy to forget that a year ago, Stewart missed the finals series because of foot surgery.
Saturday was his first final since the 2020 grand final loss to Richmond.
"I'm just so happy to be back playing finals footy. What's happened in the past, happened," he said of his ban for the collision that floored Richmond onballer Dion Prestia.
"Obviously I made a mistake, but I didn't get this opportunity last year.
"I'm just happy to be playing at the pointy end. I'm just a happy man."
Stewart made up for lost time, playing a crucial role in Geelong's six-point win.
Just as Darcy Moore was massive for Collingwood at the other end with his intercept marking, so Stewart led the Cats backline.
Amid the chaos of a pulsating match, Moore's heroics were not lost on his Geelong opposite number.
"He's a special player, Darc. I said to him after the game, I really respect the way he plays footy," Stewart said.
"I'm just so glad I could influence the game in a positive way and help the boy get over the line.
"Not only him, but Brayden Maynard, Nick Daicos, Jeremy Howe - I have a lot of respect for their backline, the way they play, the way they really utilise each other and trust their system.
"He had a big influence, but we got the job done."
The old maxim is that every premiership team boasts an ironclad back six and Geelong's is flag-worthy.
When Jake Kolodjashnij went down with a knee injury in the first half, Mark O'Connor was the perfect replacement.
"We understand we have to stand up in those moments now. We own that back six and it's ours to stand for," he said.
"Sometimes s*** is going to happen and we have to stand up - that's finals footy, though.
"It's going to come in thick and fast and especially when Collingwood play, they take the game on, they're going to get you out the back.
"We knew we were going to have some moments."
Stewart said the defence had been a work in progress over the past six years, first under Matthew Scarlett and now James Kelly as the back line coach.
One of the keys, especially in finals, is accepting that mistakes will be made - but minimising the damage.
"That is finals - it's full of mistakes," he said.
"It's just about riding those mistakes and trying to impact positively.
"It was a scrap. It would have been awesome to watch. It was a helluva game to be part of."
