THE GAME of AFL football is such an unforgiving test of an individual's and a team's skills that sometimes all that separates a moment of glory from a moment is a split second decision.

Adelaide young gun Andy Otten appeared to have booked his team's preliminary final berth when he intercepted a Collingwood forward foray in the dying seconds of Saturday's epic semi-final but it wasn't to be. 

"I saw the high ball coming in and I had Paul Medhurst in pretty good position so I managed to take the grab," an inconsolable Otten said minutes after the match ended in a five point loss.

"I went back to take the kick and next thing I see it was paid a free kick. He went back and goaled and that was it pretty much.

"I thought we might have had it when Tipp kicked that monster, but that's how it goes.

"I don't really know what to say. Everyone's pretty flat as you can imagine."

Otten struggled to describe the feeling of coming so close and falling at the final hurdle, but was certain he didn't want to experience too often.

"Everyone's just heart-broken, they really are," he said.

"We put ourselves out there for four quarters and to not get the win is pretty shattering. All the older boys are taking it pretty hard and being a young kid in my first finals series I don't like the feeling much myself.

"We have to take this feeling into next season and really give it a crack next year. I know I'll take that feeling into pre-season because I never want to feel like this again."