Geelong will need to defy 117 years of Australian rules history if they are to go on to win this year's AFL flag.
As Chris Scott and his side head home to consider the scale of their 110-point loss to Sydney, defender Harry Taylor summed up the mood.
"It's a really dull feeling, a really bitter feeling," he said.
Few at Geelong have suffered a beating of this magnitude.
The Cats are still nicely poised with a 7-3 record but must now face an inescapable truth; never before has a team been beaten so comprehensively and recovered to lift the cup.
Three teams came close: the 1945 Carlton side that was beaten by an even century at Windy Hill, Essendon in 1949 who returned from Geelong 95-point losers and the 2004 Port Adelaide side.
Port's 92-point loss to North Melbourne in round eight was an aberration, one of just five losses on their way to a maiden flag.
Port key forward Warren Tredrea, now a newsreader with Channel 9 in Adelaide, remembers the game well.
"We got smashed. We just couldn't do a thing right," Tredrea said.
"It was a good reality check; we got dictated to."
Port's loss came when the "choker" tag was still attached to the club, and Tredrea said while it hurt at the time, it became a key turning point.
"From our perspective, it was probably a pivotal moment in our season," he said.
"Everyone could take stock and say 'Hang on, if we're not 100 per cent committed we're not going to beat the best'."
"We copped a rocket, we were embarrassed and we learnt from our mistakes and history says it was probably a good reminder."
Port would win 15 of the last 17 matches for the premiership win.
If Geelong end their season similarly, it will be after a number of gruesome records were tallied at their expense on Thursday night.
Sydney took four points, a healthy percentage bump and the new tag of premiership favourites from the game.
Sportsbet's Andrew Brown said in less than 24 hours, the Swans had surged to outright $3.50 favourites.
"We took a bet of $10,000 for the Swans this morning and more $100 and $200 bets than I'm willing to count," Brown said.
Remarkably, the Swans were rated an $11 chance after losing to GWS Giants in round one and at $9 after losing to North Melbourne at the SCG in round four.
Current Port Adelaide coach Ken Hinkley said Sydney were playing "powerful football".
"They're a side that's going to cause significant problems for everyone," he said.
He and Scott agreed on one thing - they could be beaten.
Ending his sullen post-match press conference on a defiant note, Scott was resolute when ask if the Swans' three-pronged forward line could be tamed.
"Nothing surer," he said.
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