'Gutted': Hawks look to future with Cats too good

But after kicking the first three goals in Friday night's preliminary final against Geelong, ultimately they could not land the killer blow.

Coming from eighth in the finals proved too much and their season ended with a 30-point loss.

"This one hurts more because we're so close ... I'm gutted. One game away from the big dance - (it's) what you play for," Moore said.

"Coming from eighth, it was always going to be tough, but we had the belief this year that we were going to go all the way.

"We can really use this one as motivation and it's a cliche - it hurts so much, but you want to get back here and you want to experience that again.

"It's what you play for. It's exactly why, as a kid, you're doing extras in the backyard, you're telling your Dad 'let's go for another kick' - you dream of playing in games like this."

The mood in the Hawthorn rooms post-match was far from funereal. While nothing is guaranteed, there is a real sense they are on the rise.

They are making a bold bid to recruit Essendon captain Zach Merrett, which would give their midfield a badly needed boost.

Hawthorn are also about to leave Waverley and move into their new headquarters at Dingley, in Melbourne's south-east.

"I'm pretty stoked, I went out there a couple of months ago - phenomenal," Moore said.

'A world-class facility, I can't wait to move in there, it's going to make us a better club.

"I feel like the boys are just going to be sleeping there."

Soon after the loss, Moore and his teammates also noted the Hawks had taken some significant steps this season.

"After the game a few of the boys said we've won more games than we did last year, we've won two interstate, we won at a stadium (where) we've never won before (Engie Stadium in Sydney), we won in Adelaide, where last year we got done," he said.

"So ... a few demons from last year. We had two big wins in finals, but it was just the third one we didn't get."