Just as coach Leigh Matthews said the Lions weren’t “10 goals off the top-four”, Notting believes the 63-point loss is not representative of the side’s capabilities.
The challenge, he says, will be proving as much in the run into September, starting with this weekend’s home assignment against Adelaide.
”It was definitely a reality check for us and a good learning experience in seeing what you have to do to match it with the top-four sides when they are up and running,” Notting said.
”You don’t ever want to lose games. But it was a day when nothing went right for us and we’ve got to show over the next 10 weeks that we’ve learnt from it.
”We’re all disappointed to have been beaten like that but the mood around the club is still really positive – we move on.
”In a way it was fortunate that it did happen now and not in the finals if we end up getting there.”
Barring unforeseen circumstances, Notting will play his 74th straight game on the weekend – comfortably the Lions’ longest streak, ahead of Jed Adcock (41).
It is a mark of Notting’s growing consistency as a footballer that he has attracted relatively little fanfare in the past two months, despite posting career-best statistics.
From the round six win over Melbourne through to the round 11 triumph against Fremantle, Notting averaged almost 24 possessions per game.
Last year, in finishing third in the club’s fairest-and-best award, he averaged 21-per outing.
”Like a fair few of us, I’d probably like to forget about the weekend against the Bulldogs,” Notting said.
”But other than that I’ve been pretty happy with the way I’ve been going this year. In the last couple of months I’ve started to find a bit of the ball and my disposal efficiency has been pretty good.
”Getting up to 70-odd games in a row – I’m pretty proud of that. I’m lucky in that my body seems to keep pulling up okay and hopefully it can continue to do that.
”I definitely don’t feel my age at the moment.”
Notting, who turns 30 in October, has been the oldest Lion on field for much of this year, with Nigel Lappin laid low by an Achilles problem.
Lappin, who will turn 32 on Saturday, is a chance to resume in the reserves this weekend and Notting can’t wait for his premiership teammate to return to senior action – and not just so that he can hand back the “veteran” tag.
”Having Nigel back will give us an extra gun in the midfield – he’s just a super player,” Notting said.
”He’s a really important player for us and having not played much in the first half of the year, hopefully he’ll still be fresh as we get towards the end of the home and away season.
”There aren’t too many guys that can spend six or seven games out and then come back and pick up the pace straight away, but Nigel’s shown in the past that he can.”
