MITCHELL JOHNSON: The crippling mindset that can undo season of hard toil

Another one-goal loss. Another finals campaign over. And for the West Coast Fever, another season of near perfection without the ultimate prize.

From the outside, it looks like a successful year. Minor premiers. Dominant throughout. Crowd records smashed at RAC Arena. Talk of the town in WA.

But elite athletes don’t sit around patting themselves on the back after a season like this — not when it ends one goal short in the Super Netball grand final.

This is the part of sport that people often forget. The effort doesn’t just start at round one. It starts in the off-season, in the heat, in the grind. It’s early mornings, late finishes, endless video sessions, recovery, and discipline. So when you pour every ounce of yourself into that journey — and still fall short — it stings deeper than most will ever understand.

For Fever, this isn’t a one-off heartbreak either. In 2023, they fell one goal short against the NSW Swifts in a preliminary final. Last year, they went out in the preliminary final by a single goal to the Melbourne Vixens. This year, they met the same team on the biggest stage … and lost by one again. There’s no shame in that — the Vixens are a powerhouse. But that doesn’t make it hurt any less.

I wonder if this makes a club more focused, over-focused, or obsessed heading into next season. The truth is, it can go either way. Losses like this can fuel you. But they can also burn you out. Because as a player, you don’t just remember the loss — you replay every moment. Every pass. Every missed chance. Every “what if”. And it’s hard not to carry that weight into the next pre-season.

This is the mental side of elite sport most never see. The season might be over, but your mind doesn’t switch off. You rewatch clips, analyse stats, talk it through, and quietly ask yourself: could I have done more?

Of course, this is also how growth happens. You don’t learn a whole lot when you’re cruising to wins. You learn when you’re stretched, when it doesn’t go your way. When your heart’s broken and you have to decide whether to back up and go again. And you have to move on as quickly as possible, not let it linger, which is easier said than done sometimes.

This is the time when players and coaching staff need to be at their best to move forward. Yes, take a moment to go through the what-ifs, but you also need to move on and prepare for what’s next.

Personally, playing in finals — whether it was a World Cup final, knockout match or an Ashes decider — I treated them like something completely different early on in my career. Bigger. Scarier. But with experience, I realised that mindset can undo you. The pressure’s already there — no need to add more by overthinking it. It’s just another game. Same pitch. Same ball. Play your role. Do your job. Try to keep it simple.

But that’s the thing. When a team’s had a successful season — when they’ve been the hunted all year — it’s hard not to let expectation creep in. Suddenly, the joy of playing is replaced with the fear of falling short. And if you let that shift your mindset, finals become a different beast altogether.

I think the Fever turned up to play this grand final. They weren’t overawed. It wasn’t a blowout. They were in it right to the end. But when it comes down to one goal — that final margin — there’ll be players quietly questioning everything. That’s elite sport. Athletes are their toughest critics. But in the end, it can also be that the other team was just that bit better, and you have to accept, move on and start the process again.

Some will bounce back quickly. Others may carry this one through the off-season. But one thing’s for sure — this loss will sit deep in the bones of that Fever group. I hope they can use that feeling to drive them not to feel that again and be on the other side of it.

And maybe that’s the lesson young athletes need to see. You can do everything right. Train hard. Win big. Lead the league. And still fall short. Because finals aren’t won on reputation — they’re won on the day.

I remember Ricky Ponting wanting us to all watch England celebrate winning the Ashes in England. Watching their elation didn’t feel good and it motivated us not to want to feel that again.

It’s cruel, but it’s also why we love it. Because when Fever do get that second title — and they will — it’ll mean more than anyone on the outside could ever understand.