The Panthers ended their 14-year drought in September but Curtis insists they won't rest on their laurels with rival clubs recruiting heavily.

Curtis expects Myrtleford, Wangaratta, Albury and Yarrawonga to push hard next season.

"We're still underrated. I think we'll have a better side, we'll improve and that grand final - that's not the best we can play," he said.

"Some of these players who came to another level, Marty Brennan, Aidan Johnson and Tommy Hargreave, I think there's up-side left in them and our older guys aren't going to drop off just yet so I'm pretty optimistic.

"The club's in a good position for sustained success so I think we're going to be competitive for a reasonably long time."

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Curtis admitted the elation of winning the flag took "three or four weeks" to sink in after a turbulent end to the season.

Events off-field made as many headlines as the results on it, with Sam and Tom Hargreave rocked by the death of their father, Hugh, at the start of September.

"You do understand that a football coach is more than a coach and there are things you need to help people through," Curtis said.

"During the year there will be players who have lost their licence or they've had an indiscretion, lost their jobs, uncertainty with their partners and things like that but what happened with the Hargreave boys was on another level. All you can do is listen and try to help them.

"A big part of Sam coming back was they knew their father was sick and they wanted Hugh to see them playing together so I felt like football already had a purpose for them.

"I spoke to them said 'look, if you don't want to play, there's no pressure.' I know it's a big game, to get into a grand final, but there are bigger things in life."

Curtis was only cleared to play in the grand final days before the game, having successfully appealed against the two-match ban initially dished out for striking Wangaratta's Michael Bordignon in the qualifier.

"You'd have to say it was a distraction," he admitted.

"It was a distraction personally, with the effort it takes.

"That tribunal night at the SS&A Club, I was there from 7pm and didn't get home until 12.30am. I've got a one-year-old so I missed him down for the night, my partner's at home and it affects her because she wonders how that's going to happen - and then there's the effort it takes from the club and the committee.

"It's a financial drain as well because you pay for a lawyer and there's people there taking their time off. We flew to Melbourne, drove back and there's a substantial fee to do an appeal."