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IT was always feared the occasion would swamp New Zealand.
But few thought steel-boned captain Brendon McCullum would be the man most culpable.
In the biggest cricket match his country has ever known, it was almost cruel that the superstar who has reinvigorated the game in New Zealand lost his head.
Pre-match, McCullum was asked if he would consider toning down his aggression for a World Cup final.
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Brendon McCullum watches his bails fly. Source: AFP
The 33-year-old scoffed at the suggestion and justifiably so.
Why would the most dominant figure in the tournament's only unbeaten team try and fix something that wasn't broke?
But there's aggression and then there's lunacy, and for the first time, McCullum was found guilty of crossing that fine line.
Mitchell Starc's three-ball dismantling of McCullum in the first over of the match will go down as the defining moment in Australia's emphatic fifth world crown triumph.
"They stepped up," said McCullum.
"All credit to them to grab those key moments.
"Even with 183 on the board, I still felt like we were a chance in this game. Whether that's my eternal optimism ... it didn't (happen) and credit to Australia to deliver on the big stage.
"Sometimes you have to admit you've run second in the race."
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McCullum was typically gracious in defeat, heaping praise on the Aussies while still taking great pride in his team's performance over the past six weeks.
"It would have been nice to have won it, but I'm sure everyone will be proud of what we've been able to achieve," he said.
"We've entertained people and I guess left nothing out there in terms of the character and attitude on the field," he said.
"It has been one hell of a ride.
"What we were able to achieve in this tournament will last for a long time. The friendhips we've created, the experiences that we've had, and I guess the people that we've been able to inspire throughout the tournament is something that we're really proud of."
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was typically gracious in the post-match press conference. Source: AP
McCullum praised ill former Black Caps' skipper Martin Crowe, who is at 52 facing up to a life-threatening illness.
"We walk away with our heads held high," McCullum said.
"We had Martin Crowe and John Key, our Prime Minister, in the changing room before, and they were incredibly proud of what we've been able to achieve.
"They're just a couple of guys we've been able to share it with, and I guess we've shared this experience with the whole country."
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It's not often a cricketer sparks an outbreak of applause in a media conference, but McCullum's dignity in defeat added to his legend last night.
McCullum became the first captain in the history of Cup finals to fall for a duck as he swung wildly at two deliveries, before having his off stump rocked back when he foolishly tried for third time lucky.
It was electric fast bowling, but a brain explosion from McCullum all the same.
Even in their worst nightmares, New Zealand couldn't have imagined a worse start.
In an instant, the MCG cathedral New Zealand were so confident wouldn't intimidate them, erupted like few times before.
Starc celebrates bowling Brendon McCullum. Source: News Corp Australia
One can only imagine how that noise must have contrasted with the deathly silence inside the Black Caps room.
When the leader jumps off the plank, it was hardly going to inspire confidence in the rest of the group.
Guptill followed and then Williamson, and although semi-final hero Grant Elliott and the experienced Ross Taylor were brave, they were always batting in quicksand.
What happened last night shouldn't take away from the fact that McCullum has been immense this World Cup.
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But now he and an inspired nation will forever ponder what might have been.
Earlier this tournament when New Zealand rolled Australia for 151 at Eden Park, McCullum's astute, relentless captaincy was at the coalface of a win for the ages.
But even in this department, McCullum last night slipped.
When Australian opener Aaron Finch was sent packing for a duck, New Zealand had reason to believe given the events that transpired in Auckland just four weeks ago.
Brendon McCullum trudges off the MCG after scoring a duck. Source: Getty Images
But in the fifth over when David Warner edged to second slip, there was no fielder there.
The captain at Eden Park would have had a man right there to swallow it.
But at the MCG, McCullum couldn't nail the moment and the chance to get into Australia's middle order went begging as Warner dashed to 45.
McCullum loves his racing, and all tournament he's referred to his side as a 'good horse.'
That quality remains unchanged, but last night, the unescapable fact is Kiwi's jockey missed the kick at the Melbourne Cup.
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