Petracca said he shed many tears while speaking to family and friends back home. His first phone call was to his girlfriend, Bella. The second was to his parents.

For all of the modern problems that have arisen from technology and social media, the phones of players, coaches and staff became substitutes for the real thing in the rooms after the game.

The Demons fans that have been starved of success for so long were unable to be there in person.

“The supporters that got over here endured something that they will remember forever,” Goodwin said.

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“But in saying that we do feel for the people back home. What I do know is that I’m pretty sure they’re enjoying their lounge rooms, they’re proud as they could ever be about their club. 57 years and they’ve suffered a lot during that time and I’m sure they are as proud of their boys as I am.”

Meantime the coach conceded that star defender Steven May played with a significant hamstring tear that - if it had been for any other game of the season - he wouldn’t have played.

Goodwin said May would’ve likely been rested for several weeks if he had suffered the same injury during the home and away season.

“Yeah, it was solid,” Goodwin said.

“He had a reasonable tear to it but the medicos and the fitness staff did an unbelievable job. They treated it clinically, we got a scan and there were some results there that weren’t great.

“He trained fully, he got all through all the tests and we were prepared to take that risk.”

After singing the club song for the umpteenth time and exhausting their contacts list, the entire Melbourne squad gathered in the centre of an empty Optus Stadium.

Had they walked out 15 minutes earlier, they would have been greeted by sheeting rain in what had otherwise been a perfect Perth day.

But the heavens closed up for the Demons at the right time.