The dedicated Swans fan, from the Sydney beachside suburb of Coogee,is gutted about the team's 22-point loss to the Western Bulldogs.

Despite being the favourites on paper, a Swans win was never going to come easy against the lion-hearted Bulldogs.In one small consolation for Ms Dawe, Saturday's Grand Final marked the culmination of a personal milestone to see every Swans game in2016.

Five years ago, Ms Dawe, 53, was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer and had to miss two years of football.

"I missed being around people and the footy. It has brought me a sense of community, the "Bloods" culture," she said.

"Going through cancer, you tend to isolate [yourself] a lot to stay well. It gets you down mentally as well. I watched every game of every club [on television]. I couldn't wait to get back [to the games]."

It was during her recovery that she set herself a goal to attend every Swans game for the season, something she was finally able to achieve this year.

"I took it one game at a time, pretty much like the players themselves," she said. After the Grand Final, she said the Bulldogs' pressure was amazing.

"Both these clubs deserved to be in this grand Final. Dogs won this contest."

So did the Dogs win, or did the Swans lose?

"Our boys don't go out to lose. I'm proud of their efforts all season and I'm proud of their efforts today."

Some fans weren't quite as diplomatic. Stacey Bark said a few "disgraceful" umpiring calls cost the Swans dearly. Ms Bark, who is 34 weeks' pregnant, said she was still glad to have made the trip after her doctor only cleared her to fly on Thursday morning.

"The stress [of the match] was almost too much for me," she said. "I'm so proud of the boys for … giving me my sixth Grand Final experience. We will be back next year."

Lifetime Swans member Nell Cooper, 87, was desperate for another win for the Swans. After all, at her age she knows time may not be on her side. She had an appointment booked with her tattooist to add to the 2005 and 2012 ink on her arm but it wasn't to be.

In football, timing is everything, so it was a double heartbreak for Kathy Martin, 61, who lost her father, Swans foundation member Jack Harris, two weeks ago.

"He lived and breathed this football club," she said. "It's been a tough couple of weeks but he's here [in spirit]."

Most Swans fans were seeking redemption for the horror loss of 2014 to Hawthorn but Mark De Freitas wanted more. He wanted blood.

"We're here to kill Bambi," he said before the match."We finished on top for a reason; they finished seventh for a reason. Our percentage of 151 doesn't lie. It tells a lot of the story [of the season]."

But on Saturday, much to the despair of the Swans fans, the football gods wrote a different story. Bambi lived to fight another day.